


Undeniable Chemistry (4)

by superqueerlanz



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, F/F, Fluff, HSAU, Making Out, Sanvers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-10-20 15:42:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10665732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superqueerlanz/pseuds/superqueerlanz
Summary: Maggie Saywer, the most popular girl in school, is failing chemistry. She asks Alex Danvers, the well-liked nerd, to tutor her.Fluff and the development of their friendship - and later their romantic feelings towards each other- ensues.Please leave your feedback - and a kudos too, if you feel it deserves it :)You can also reach me on my tumblr: stillascalmwater





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is was originally Chapter 31 in my "I just Want To Kiss You" fic but I decided to also post it as a separate thing (mostly because it's kind of long).

"Are you sure we won't get caught?"

"Nobody usually comes to this section of the library, now  _shhh"._

Alex pulled Maggie's face towards hers and quieted her with her mouth. 

Maggie gave a surprised - and pleased - hum and kissed Alex back but then she couldn't help but smile against Alex's lips.

Alex's very very soft lips. 

"Nobody except you," she gently teased.

Alex pulled back slightly and sighed with mild annoyance - but Maggie could tell that she was amused by their ongoing banter.

"Yes, haha, very funny, I like space".

Maggie smirked and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, tilting her head to the side. 

Alex tried not to gawk - she loved that head tilt. Especially when it was coupled with that dimpled smile. 

And she hated herself for this. For  _loving_ things about Maggie Sawyer. 

It wasn't supposed to go this way. 

 

~~

 

The first time Maggie approached Alex was after chemistry class in the lab - around four months ago. 

Alex was the only student allowed to stay in the lab unsupervised. Her teacher called her a "prodigy". Alex wouldn't go as far as that - she was by no means a genius - but she had a deep respect for science. And she was very good at it.

She was surprised to notice that Maggie Sawyer was still lingering behind in the lab after everyone else had left. Alex was staying to test out a few experiments she had in mind and then to put everything back in place. 

She was even more surprised when Maggie walked over to her, hesitantly. 

"Hey, Danvers," she said. 

Alex wasn't used to being called by her last name. She weirdly liked the sound of it. 

"Sawyer," she tested it out. "What's up?"

Alex couldn't think of a reason why Maggie would want to talk to her - in private. They knew each other - of course they did, they had several classes together. But they had never really interacted before. A polite hello, a small smile. That was it. 

They both belonged to different social circles. Maggie was a cheerleader and usually hung out with her teammates. She was beautiful and popular and desired by all the boys in their class - although Alex had never seen her actually dating one. As for Alex, she was what everyone would describe as a "nerd" but she was also sweet and helpful and well-liked - and she exuded a certain something that discouraged anyone from ever bullying her. 

Maggie usually seemed pretty self-confident - except for now. She shifted on her feet and cleared her throat.

"I heard you're tutoring".

Alex frowned, confused. 

"Yes, I am. Why?"

Maggie's eyes shifted uncomfortably and Alex found herself feeling sorry for her - Maggie obviously wasn't used to asking for help. Something she and Alex had in common.

"I, um, need help. I'm failing chemistry. And I've never failed anything in my life and I really don't want to start now". 

Alex nodded, slowly.

"Sure, no problem. I tutor every Wednesday and Thursday in the library during the afternoon. The Wednesday group-"

"Yeah, wait, here's the thing," Maggie interrupted her. "I ... I can't do groups. I don't want anyone to know that I'm - I just couldn't handle it. I was thinking of maybe having some... private study sessions?"

Alex took a second to get her bearings - a private study session with Maggie Sawyer?

"I'm.. I'm sorry Maggie but I don't think I have the time for private lessons," she said apologetically. 

Maggie sighed and passed her fingers through her hair. 

"Look," she said and her voice was softer now, almost pleading. "I know you don't owe me anything, that you have absolutely no reason to do me any favors. We barely know each other. But I really need to pass this class, I really  _need_ to graduate. And I can't do it without some help. We can - we can study at your house if it's more convenient? I'll come by anytime you have a free hour to spare, I'll bring snacks, I'll do your chores around the house if you need me to. I'll - I'll pay you, of course".

"Whoa, hold on," Alex said, waving her hand to slow Maggie down. "You don't need to do all that".

"I want to," Maggie replied with clear determined eyes.

Eyes that were as brown and rich as chocolate, Alex noted. 

"I would pay you for your trouble... if you say yes". 

Alex took a moment to consider this. She could really use the money - if she made some money on the side, she could maybe save up enough cash to be able to buy that telescope she had her eye on. And Maggie's family was loaded so it wasn't like it would inconvenience her.

But she also - weirdly enough - wanted to help Maggie out. She seemed so desperate and Alex didn't have it in her to say no.

And so she agreed and Maggie's eyes were filled with hope and her shoulders sagged with relief and Alex knew that she had made the right choice.

 

~~

 

Maggie wasn't kidding when she said she was going to bring snacks. 

"Oh my god, Maggie, what did you get?" Alex gasped as she opened the door.

Maggie was carrying two boxes of pizza, a bag of potstickers, chips with an assortment of dips, a few candy bars and a selection of soft drinks.

"I didn't know what you liked so I got a bit of everything," she admitted as Alex hurriedly relieved her of the pizza boxes and the cooler. 

Alex shook her head at her with bewildered amazement. 

"You can ask, you know. I don't want you to go through all that trouble next time, okay? One thing is enough and we could always order when you're here".

Maggie was weirdly touched by Alex's gentle admonishment.

"Okay. But I'm still paying".

Alex rolled her eyes but then she smiled and Maggie smiled back. 

"So what _do_ you like?" she asked as they headed towards the stairs leading up to Alex's room presumably. 

"Pizza is my one true love," Alex joked, peering inside one of the pizza boxes and then sucking in a breath of air. "Mm, pepperoni". 

Maggie giggled and was secretly pleased with getting Alex's favorite food right. She was feeling guilty enough for burdening her with this extra tutoring. 

"Alright, let's go to my room befo-"

And then a voice piped up from the living room.

"Alex! I smell potstickers, did you-" 

A blond girl - a few years younger than Alex and who Maggie had seen a few times around campus- came bursting out of the living room and then skidded to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. She had big blue eyes and a big smile etched itself on her face. 

"Oh! Your friend's here!" 

Alex sighed with exasperation - but when she spoke with the girl, her eyes were soft and amused. 

"Yes, Kara, this is Maggie. Maggie, this is my annoying little sister Kara".

Maggie beamed at Kara and gave her a small wave. 

"A Little Danvers!" 

Kara beamed and waved back - and then her eyes flicked back to the bag in Maggie's hand. 

"I heard you like potstickers?" Kara nodded eagerly and ignored Alex who was gesturing for her to go away. "Well, it looks like we have quite a lot of food already so you can have the postickers if you want". 

Kara clapped with delight, thanked Maggie and then galloped away with the bag in her hand. 

Maggie chuckled as Alex rested a hand on her elbow and pulled her towards her room.

"Let's just go before she comes back for more". 

Maggie's laughter died in her throat when she stepped inside Alex's room. 

It was one of the coolest rooms she'd ever been in. 

Alex had painted her walls with various shades of blue, and had then drawn all the different planets of their solar system. 

There were big posters of space-related things on the walls as well as miniature sized planetary models that were hanging down from the ceiling. 

The shelves were stacked with books. A rainbow colored dream-catcher was swaying near her bed. 

The lights were soft and soothing.

The wall behind her bed was covered with pictures - mostly pictures of Alex and her sister, Alex and her family, Alex... surfing?

Two speakers sat on opposite ends of the room and Maggie could hear the gentle pitter-patter of rain and the steady rush of waves.

"Wow," she breathed.

"I could turn the rain off, if you want," Alex offered hastily. "Some people find it annoying so-"

"No. I like it. Keep it- please. It's ... very soothing," Maggie replied quietly. 

Alex smiled, relieved. 

Maggie took a few steps around the room, looking around at the pictures, the posters. Alex wondered what she was thinking - did she think Alex was a big nerdy loser?

Maggie stopped in front of a big poster, depicting a planet. It wasn't one of the planets in their solar system - at least, she didn't think so - and was a breathtaking shade of blue.

"What's that?" she asked. 

Alex stepped closer to Maggie, swallowed nervously. She never really spoke about space with anybody. It was her own little thing. No one had really shown an interest in it anyway.

"That's, um, a rogue planet, presumably. It has a really long name with lots of letters and numbers. I just call it the Orphan". 

Maggie nodded - and found herself wanting to know more. 

"What's a .. rogue planet," she asked and Alex looked at her with curious eyes. 

"It's a, um - an object that has a planetary mass and that orbits the galaxy. But it's called rogue because it has been ejected from the planetary system in which it was born. And - um, are you really interested in this?"

Maggie nodded wordlessly. 

"Okay, well - rogue planets have no star so they are just... free-floaters. Independent".

"Why do you like them?" Maggie asked. 

Alex looked up at the poster. No one had ever asked her opinion about  _why_ she liked certain things. And she'd never really asked herself that question either.

"I think ... I think I like rogue planets because it's like a... bittersweet thing. You have these big planets that are brave enough to ... wander around in the infinite universe with no anchor, nothing to gravitate towards. They're part of chaos, you know. And I like it, I like that they set themselves apart and I - I wish I could do that as well. But it's also sad because... because they've been rejected by the system that birthed them and now they are just... alone. Alone in the darkness. Unwanted. Which is also something I can rel- I mean. Yeah, that's about it". 

Maggie stared at Alex silently - she was enjoying the rise and fall of Alex's voice, the calm and interesting way she explained things. She found herself at peace. And she also felt like she had inadvertently learned more about Alex Danvers. But she also felt like Alex was getting slightly uneasy, that she had touched something private, and so she decided to change the tone.

"Well, if you explain chemistry as well as you explain rogue planets, then I am definitely acing this exam," she winked and Alex's lips quirked up in a shy smile. 

 

~~

And she was right.

Alex had a way of explaining things that made everything make sense to Maggie. 

She phrased things in a way that made Maggie actually interested and tackled every chapter with a passion that pushed Maggie into enjoying every single anecdote. She looked forward to these study sessions - and Alex was secretly having a good time as well because Maggie was a delightful student. She was a quick learner and was smart and intuitive. Alex found herself wondering why Maggie was failing chemistry in the first place. 

As time passed, they found themselves actually wanting to hang out together - to do things that didn't have anything to do with studying.

They found themselves becoming actual friends. 

Alex learned that Maggie was a huge movie buff - as was Alex - and so they spent their evenings watching movies and stuffing their faces with popcorn and pizza. Sometimes Kara would tag along as well - and Alex would let her because she had discovered that Maggie actually had a little soft spot for Kara. 

They spoke more about their personal lives - Maggie learned that Alex's father wasn't around, that her mother was often away on business trips. That she was the one who had to take care of everything around the house, had to take care of Kara. 

Alex learned that Maggie's mother wasn't around, that her father was very hard to get along with. 

They only hung out at Alex's house - they didn't really speak at school. It was an unspoken agreement that their budding friendship was to be separate from their social lives. 

And then one day, Alex felt her feelings start to shift. 

She had opened the door, on a rainy day - ready for another study session with Maggie, followed by a movie - and gasped softly when she saw Maggie's devastated face. 

Maggie's hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes were swollen and teary and her lower lip was trembling. 

"I'm - I'm sorry, I should probably go," she said, her voice shaking, her eyes looking away from Alex's concerned face and she turned to leave.

Gentle fingers gripped her arm. 

"Maggie, don't go," Alex said softly, almost tenderly. "Come in. Please? Tell me what happened".

Maggie relented, too weak to protest. 

She allowed Alex to lead her to her room, to take off her coat. She drank the yummy mug of hot chocolate Alex whipped up  - with yellow marshmallows, Maggie's favorite color. She felt herself relax as Alex rubbed her back, as she wiped her tears away and as she stared at her with kind eyes.

"You're being really nice, stop it," Maggie had laughed - although it sounded more like a sob - in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Alex hesitated but then she placed her hand on Maggie's knee.

"Maggie, look - like it or not, we're ... we're friends now, aren't we? And friends help each other out, don't they? They listen. They care. I .. I care. About you".

Maggie's eyes flicked up to meet Alex's.

And the unrestrained concern and determination and compassion she saw in their depths made her start talking.

"My dad, he's ... he's being really difficult, Alex. He's always been very hard to deal with. Especially since my mom left. He's not a regular father, he's very cynical. He's not affectionate. I can't remember the last time he hugged me. I've always.. I've always tried my best to please him, you know? I've tried to get good grades, to be head of everything at school. So he wouldn't have anything to criticize. But - but I've been slowly realizing something about myself. And he's been pestering me - he keeps asking why I'm never bringing a boy home, why I've never had a boyfriend. And I couldn't tell him before, I didn't know how to, I wanted to lie but.. but that would be like lying to myself, wouldn't it? I couldn't tell him that-"

"Maggie, what is it?" Alex asked, her fingers having found their way inside Maggie's small hand.  

Maggie took a deep breath. 

"I'm gay, Alex. I like girls. Always have. Ever since I was eight, I knew. And I tried to make out with boys and stuff but I couldn't - you know, I didn't feel anything. I couldn't bring myself to do it again. Today, I- I decided to test the waters with my dad. I asked him what he'd do if I told him I didn't like boys, that I liked girls. He said that he'd kick me out. That he wouldn't - that he wouldn't call me his daughter anymore. I tried to shrug it off - I pretended it was because we had a gay kid at school and that I was curious to know how he'd react, I didn't want him to suspect anything. But I.. I wish I hadn't asked.  I wish-"

She broke off as fresh tears brimmed inside her eyes. 

Alex cupped her chin with her fingers and turned her face towards hers.

Maggie had never really noticed how gorgeous Alex's eyes were. They were dark and expressive and speckled with light and stars. 

"Hey, your dad- he's - he's an ass, alright?"

Maggie gave a watery smile.

"And you... you're perfect, Maggie, okay? It's not your fault for liking who you like. It's not  _wrong._ You shouldn't let him or anyone make you feel ashamed for being exactly who you are. If he doesn't understand, then that's his loss".

"You think I'm perfect?" Maggie asked, very quietly. 

Alex gulped and tried to back up- tried to make it less weird.

"Well, you know, I'm into girls too - and if you weren't so terrible at chemistry then you'd actually be my type. But apart from that -"

"What?"

Maggie's eyes were wide like saucers. 

"What," Alex repeated. "I'm joking, you're not _bad_ at chemistry, you're actually getting ver- "

"You're gay?" Maggie repeated.

Alex frowned in disbelief.

"Um, yes?  _Everyone_ knows, Maggie. Like, the whole school knows".

"Well, no one told  _me,"_  Maggie protested. 

Alex shook her head slowly and grinned - and then Maggie grinned too. 

And her dad was quickly forgotten as they both started talking about their first time realizing they were into girls, their celebrity girl crushes, who they thought was cute at school and how boys were terrible kissers. And when Maggie handed Alex her money for the week, Alex had shaken her head. 

"Friends don't pay friends for tutoring. From now on, it's on me, Sawyer". 

And Alex tried to forget how nice it had felt to hold Maggie's hand in her own. 

 

~~

 

But then Maggie grew curious. 

Ever since she found out that Alex was into girls as well, she had an almost irrepressible urge to kiss her. 

She had only kissed one girl before - and that was years ago - and she wanted to do it again. And - and friends kissed each other, right? Wasn't that a thing?

She started noticing things about Alex that she hadn't noticed before. 

How Alex would squint when she was trying to remember a particular formula. 

How delicate the curve of her neck looked when she was looking over Maggie's chemistry homework. 

How she'd chew on her full lower lip sometimes when she was lost in her thoughts in class. 

How she was a science genius - but still counted on her fingers when they were splitting the tab. 

She was distracted by her long slender fingers, by the steady rhythm of her voice, by the way she threw her head back when she laughed. 

By how expertly she mixed chemicals together like she was mixing drinks. How she'd raise her hand seriously to answer a question. The way complex names rolled off her tongue effortlessly.

She knew she shouldn't be thinking this way about her friend - but she was also curious and she also really really wanted to make out with Alex. 

Maggie didn't really see an opening for that - until their midterm exams. 

Maggie was stressing out, waiting for the papers to be distributed. She knew she also had her final exams to worry about - but the midterms were really important as well and she really didn't want to disappoint Alex. 

She looked over to where Alex was seated - two rows across from hers - and found that Alex already had her eyes on her. Her smile was gentle and encouraging and she mouthed "you got this" with a discreet thumbs up. Maggie smiled back and everything that Alex had taught her flowed back inside her mind. She was ready.

A week later, the results were in.

And Maggie ran to Alex's house, paper in hand, knocking on the door repeatedly until Alex opened up and Alex's eyes were cautious and they flitted down to the paper in Maggie's hands. Maggie's face was evidence enough though - her hair was windswept, her eyes were dancing and she had the biggest dimpled smile on her lips - but Alex still needed to be sure before she jumped to conclusions. 

"Did you-"

"I got a B+!" Maggie squealed - and Maggie never squealed. 

She pulled Alex inside the house and started jumping up and down and her excitement and joy were so contagious that Alex grabbed both her hands and started jumping along with her. 

Maggie stopped jumping for a few seconds to squeeze Alex's hands really hard between her own.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she panted but her voice was brimming with gratitude. 

Alex shook her head, whispered a "it was all you, Sawyer" and then spontaneously gathered Maggie in her arms. 

Maggie gasped softly as she felt Alex's solid arms around her, as she felt her feet leave the ground as Alex spun her around in circles. 

When her feet touched the ground again, and as Alex was pulling back, Maggie made a split-second decision.

She pulled Alex back towards her with her hand on the back of her neck, and she kissed her. 

She felt Alex stiffen for a second but then she parted her lips and kissed her back, her hands slowly moving to rest against Maggie's back. Once she made sure that Alex wasn't going to break contact, Maggie's hand left the back of Alex's neck and tangled in her short hair instead. She loved the feeling of Alex's body against hers - and was surprised by how good of a kisser she was. 

Alex, on the other hand, was feeling light-headed. She didn't know how they had ended up kissing : one second they were celebrating Maggie's results and the next their lips were locked in the most amazing kiss she'd ever had. But she knew she had to make it stop. It didn't mean anything - Maggie was ecstatic and maybe it was just her way of thanking Alex in the heat of the moment.

And so she pulled back, slowly, regretfully. Maggie was looking at her with heavy eyes. 

"What was that for?" Alex asked.

Maggie wiped her mouth with her hand, trying to control her breathing. 

"I don't know," she eventually said. "Why, didn't you like it?"

"No, no, I did, I... I really liked it," Alex replied hastily. "I just, I don't know what it-"

Maggie placed her index on Alex's lips, quieting her - and she marveled once more at how soft those lips were and how perfect they had felt against her own. 

"We don't need to label it, do we? Can't we just... have fun?"

"So you want to be friends that occasionally make out?" Alex rephrased. 

"Yes? Unless you don't-"

"No, I-I don't mind, I.. I liked kissing you," Alex interrupted and Maggie grinned. 

"Well, let's get back to that then, shall we?"

 

~~

And so they made out.

A lot.

At first, they just made out in Alex's room, on Alex's bed.

But then they started making out at school.

They always made sure that they were alone. They went to the library, to deserted aisles that no one visited and they made out against the bookshelves.

They waited until everyone had left the locker room after PE so that they could jump each other frantically, hands beneath each other's shirts. 

Maggie even lingered behind after chemistry class so she could kiss Alex in the lab, distracting her from her experiments and moving all the vials away to hop on the table and "Maggie, please don't touch anything". 

And Alex loved this. She loved making out with Maggie, she loved being able to touch her and she loved the way she sighed against her mouth. She loved how she would sometimes moan softly and languorously when Alex slipped her tongue inside her mouth. She loved how Maggie moved her cool hands under Alex's shirt, and she loved doing the same to Maggie, marveling at how taut her abs were and "wow, cheerleaders are really fit, huh?" and "hey, you're not so bad either, Danvers, do you work out?"

But Alex was also having second thoughts. 

Because the closer she got to Maggie, the closer she wanted to be. And being just friends with Maggie was becoming harder and harder.

She loved Maggie's dimples and she loved making her smile. She loved listening to her when she was having a bad day. She loved how Maggie hummed a song sometimes when they were in class. She loved her intense face when she was trying to solve a complicated chemistry question. She loved how her eyes lit up whenever she understood something. 

She loved.. no. 

She couldn't love Maggie. But she also did. 

And she knew that she couldn't do anything about it. Because Maggie didn't see her that way. They were just friends that made out, weren't they?

And Maggie acknowledged her when they were in school now, she'd hang out with her sometimes during break - but she had her own life, her own friends, and she had made it clear to Alex during several conversations they've had over the past month that Maggie didn't want to come out to her friends. That Maggie really wasn't ready for a relationship anytime soon.

But Alex couldn't keep up the facade any longer. 

And so when Maggie came over as usual, smiling brightly, Alex decided to finally talk.

"I got such a good grade on yesterday's pop quiz, look!" she said excitedly, handing Alex her paper.

An A.

Alex couldn't keep the smile off her face - but it was fainter than usual. Maggie was quick to notice that. 

"Something wrong? You okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern, and she brushed a strand of hair away from Alex's face.

Alex almost melted at the contact. 

"Yeah, I mean, no- I'm... I'm really proud of you".

Maggie nodded and waited for the rest of it. 

"I have something I need to say".

"Okay," Maggie said slowly, sitting down on Alex's bed. "You're starting to scare me, what's-"

"I can't tutor you anymore," Alex blurted out.

Maggie frowned, confused and she tried to keep a composed face - she didn't want Alex to see how much that had affected her.

"Why? Is it... too time-consuming?"

"No, it's not that. Maggie, I... I can't hang out with you anymore".

This time, Maggie's face fell and Alex's heart constricted at the sight of it. 

"Oh," she said simply.

"It's not- you haven't done anything wrong, Maggie. I love y- I love hanging out with you and being around you and that's exactly why it needs to stop. Because... because that whole making out thing, that whole just being friends thing? I don't think I can do it anymore. Because I... don't want to be just your friend. And I know you don't want to date or come out in front of the whole school and I know you have your own life and I know that you're popular Maggie Sawyer and I'm - I'm nobody. But I need to take care of myself, Maggie. I can't keep this up. And I can't tutor you. I don't think you need to be tutored anymore, anyway. You're doing really well and you're going to ace your finals".

Maggie looked at her feet and then her eyes slowly skated up to meet Alex's. She saw hurt and resolve mingled in Alex's bottomless eyes. 

She stood up and nodded, trying to remain dignified. She will not break in front of Alex Danvers. 

"I think I know how that rogue planet feels now," she said and her voice shook but she ran out of Alex's room before she had a chance to stop her. 

 

~~

A few weeks passed and everyone was cramming for exams. And then exams were over and everyone was getting ready for prom and they were waiting for the results. 

Maggie hadn't spoken to Alex - she didn't know what to tell her. That she missed her more than she could ever admit? That she didn't consider her as a friend either but didn't have the guts to do anything about it?

She'd see her in class and Alex would smile hello but that was it. Maggie's days were long and empty without Alex to hang out with in the afternoon. 

And with prom looming closer, Maggie wondered whether Alex had a date yet. And she felt herself growing unbearably jealous every time she thought about Alex going with someone else. 

Until one day, during lunch hour, when Maxwell Lord approached Alex. 

Maxwell had had a crush on Alex for ages - and Alex had told Maggie during one of their chats that she had made out with him once a couple of years ago during a party but that she had felt nothing. He was also extremely arrogant and the more Alex rejected him, the more motivated he became.

And so he made his way to Alex's table - where Alex was reading with her glasses on, munching on an apple - and Maggie had her eyes on them the entire time. They were just two tables away and so it was not hard to eavesdrop. 

"Hey Alex," Maxwell said and Maggie wanted to throw up at how full of himself he sounded, how overly confident. 

"Hey Max," Alex replied, looking up from her book with a tired look in her eyes.

Maxwell drummed his hands on the table as he searched for the appropriate words. 

"So... prom's soon and I was wondering if you would like to go with me."

"Ah, prom, right," Alex said with a tight smile. "Forgot about that".

"I take it you don't have a date then?" he said with a wide grin. 

Alex shook her head no and Maggie was getting progressively frustrated at how Alex hadn't refused his invitation yet. 

"Why don't we go together then?" he offered. "I know I'm not your favorite person but you and I go way back and I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman". 

Maggie's jaw went slack as Alex laughed softly. What was she  _doing?_

"That might not be a very bad idea," she confessed.

"Yeah? So maybe we-"

Maggie didn't think twice. She stood up from her seat and strode over to Alex's table, calling out with the strongest voice she could muster:

"Hey! That's my girlfriend!" 

There was silence in the cafeteria as everyone turned around to watch Maggie Sawyer standing defiantly in front of Maxwell Lord. 

Maxwell looked confusedly from Maggie to Alex. 

"Girlfriend?" he repeated. 

The cafeteria buzzed with chatter and gossip but Maggie didn't care. She only had eyes for Alex. 

Alex who was looking at her with something akin to disbelief, who was too scared to hope, too scared to utter a single word. 

"Yes," Maggie said softly, tenderly, gazing at Alex with a question in her eyes. "If she'll have me". 

Maxwell shook his head with annoyance and stomped away as Alex stood up, turning her back to him. 

"Maggie, what-"

"I got an A+, on my exam," Maggie said and her voice was shaking with something that Alex couldn't quite name. Something warm and beautiful. "I- I wanted to tell you".

Alex beamed and impulsively grabbed Maggie's shoulders.

"Maggie, that's amazing! You did it!"

Maggie nodded and her hands rested on Alex's elbows, keeping her close. God, she had missed touching her.

"I did , and ... and the moment I got my results, the only person I wanted to tell was you. The only person I've been thinking about is you, Alex. I don't want to hide anymore. I don't care what people think anymore if it's going to make me miserable. I.. I miss you too much. And that thing about the rogue planet? You'll never be a rogue planet if you have me and I won't be one if I have you. Because I want to be there, always. And I need you, Danvers. You're not nobody, you're... you're everything. And when you told me that you wanted to set yourself apart from other people? You already have, in my eyes. You're so different from anyone I've ever met".

"Maggie, I-"

"Go to prom with me? I'll be a perfect gentlewoman too, you know, I'll-"

She wasn't able to complete her sentence because Alex's mouth was suddenly on hers, warm and soft just like she remembered. 

But then Alex pulled away, with an afterthought :

"Are you sure, though? Because-"

"Alex, I just came out in front of the whole school," Maggie reminded her with a smile.

Alex smiled back and then her eyes looked past Maggie's shoulder and she gave an amused sigh.

"You sure did, Kara is making her way over and she looks over the moon".

And Maggie laughed and intertwined her fingers with Alex's, standing on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Alex's jaw. 

And then they had to explain to a bubbly Kara that they were dating now and Alex couldn't get over the fact that this was actually happening and Maggie grinned as she realized that no one was really even paying attention to them anymore and Kara was pulling them both close for a bone-crushing hug because she had secretly called it - and she had felt it from the very first time she saw them together : they had undeniable chemistry. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation you've all been asking for (which is also Chapter 34 in my I Just Want To Kiss You fic).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been getting lots of comments saying that I should make another continuation of this, and I probably will at some point in the future, when I get enough ideas for this AU. Maybe it will be another chapter or two, who knows. I try not to really involve myself in an actual story with lots of chapters because I don't want to just stop one day if I'm no longer inspired by it or for some other reason - and give no closure to the people that have been reading it (I know what it feels like to be left hanging). But a third chapter will definitely be uploaded at some point :)  
> Meanwhile, I'll keep posting regular chapters on my other fic, based on all your suggestions.  
> You can also follow me or reach me on my tumblr stillascalmwater  
> Enjoy, my lovelies :)

 

"That's my girlfriend!"

These words, in that order, managed to completely change Alex Danvers' life. Because she wasn't just nerdy, sweet, helpful, science genius Alex Danvers anymore. She was also Maggie Saywer's girlfriend. 

And during those last couple of weeks at school - and while everyone was getting ready for prom and trying to decide exactly what they wanted to do with their lives - being Maggie Sawyer's girlfriend was the best thing in the world.

And it was something she could definitely get used to. 

Alex got used to Maggie saving her a seat in class, always waving her over even though she knew that there was no way Alex was going to sit anywhere else. 

She got used to Maggie passing her cute little notes in class, with "you look particularly beautiful today" and "can I come over later to study?" and Alex would bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing and write back "you know exams are over, don't you?"

She got used to Maggie holding her hand as they walked around campus, fingers intertwined as if they've been doing it for years. 

To Maggie lying down with her head on her lap as they ate their lunch under the shade of Alex's favorite tree. 

She got used to Maggie always making her eat an apple when they were having said lunch because "pizza is fine and everything, Danvers, but we need to get some vitamins in you". 

To receiving a good morning text from Maggie at 7 AM on the dot, overloaded with random emoticons because she knew that that never failed to make Alex smile.

To making out in a deserted corner when they both slipped out of their classes to "go to the bathroom". 

Yes, Alex could get used to this.

But getting used to this also scared her because she knew that school was wrapping up for good and soon they'd have to maybe say their goodbyes. Because she didn't know where Maggie was planning to go after all this. She was too scared to ask. And she was trying to put off having that conversation for as long as possible. 

For now, she'll think about prom and about picking the right dress and she'll save all that adult talk for later. 

And little did she know that Maggie was having the exact same thoughts as well.

 

~

Maggie made a habit of hanging out after classes with Alex in the lab. 

She didn't really trust herself to touch anything - she had passed her chemistry exam with flying colors but what Alex was doing was definitely not part of the school module. But she liked sticking around because that meant that she could watch Alex being a sexy nerd and it also meant that she was able to spend some extra time with her.

And extra time with Alex was something she was desperately craving. 

She wanted to cherish every second she got to spend with her -her  _girlfriend_ , she will never tire of saying that - because she didn't know when being around Alex was going to stop being a daily occurrence. She knew that they needed to have that talk sometime soon but she kept delaying the inevitable. 

Alex was her first girlfriend, the first girl she was undoubtedly falling in love with, and she didn't want to mess it up just yet with talk of the future. 

And so she sat on the stool next to Alex, contemplating her delicate profile and the soft curve of her lips as she poured something into a vial. She was wearing her dorky goggles and her gloves and had made Maggie do the same. 

"If you're going to sit so close to me, then you're going to be responsible about it," she had told her after Maggie protested that she wasn't the one being a little chemist. 

But if wearing goggles and gloves meant that she could secretly fawn over Alex tapping her chin with her finger as she thought about what to do next and flashing a small victorious smile every time her experiment went the way she was planning, then it was a small price to pay.

Maggie also played a little game during those hours at the lab. Whenever Alex was quiet for too long, she'd ask her something science-y and then she'd lean back and listen as Alex went on and on about it. Maggie even had her questions ready - she'd go online and she'd pick a random word and she'd memorize it for the next day. 

Like now for example, when Alex had been quietly scribbling on her notebook for the past ten minutes. 

"Alex, what's butane?" Maggie asked innocently. 

Alex looked up, startled at the interruption, but then she smiled softly at Maggie. 

"You know what butane is. We've studied this, remember?"

Shit. 

"I ... forgot," Maggie smiled sweetly back. 

Alex rolled her eyes but the way she was looking fondly at Maggie meant that she was clearly not as exasperated as she was pretending to be.

"Butane is an organic compound, with the formula C4H10, which makes it an alkane. An alkane means that you have atoms of hydrogen and carbon that are arranged in a way that all carbon-carbon bounds are single". 

"I know that part," Maggie nodded as Alex drew the chemical structure for butane on the last page of her notebook. But then Maggie decided to play dumb because that was always guaranteed fun. "Can we play around with some butane?"

"Babe, no!" Alex replied, eyes wide, clutching Maggie's arm as if to stop her from running off to get her hands on some. "It's highly flammable, you-" but then she broke off as Maggie dissolved into giggles. "But of course you knew that". 

Maggie smirked and laughed some more, her dark eyes blazing with mischief as Alex pretended to go back to her vials with a "yes, very funny Sawyer". 

"Aww, c'mon, you're not really mad at me," Maggie crooned, tugging Alex closer - and almost causing her to drop the phial - and planting a soft lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth. 

Alex tried to glare at Maggie but failed, smiling dreamily at the feel of Maggie's mouth on her face.

"I love watching you geek out," Maggie admitted and Alex leaned in for a proper kiss now. 

Maggie melted into it - even though the goggles were making it a bit difficult to actually make out - but then she let out a whine as Alex pulled back.

Alex's eyes didn't quite meet her own though and Maggie could immediately tell that something was off. 

"Um - so were your friends nice about you coming out?" she asked and Maggie frowned. 

"Yeah, they've been really supportive, especially Lucy," Maggie replied. "You know this". 

"Right," Alex nodded, eyes still averted. "Do they, um - are they nice about you dating  _me_ though?"

Maggie was lost at this point. They had gone from playful teasing and kissing to this weird sudden conversation and Maggie wasn't really able to work out why Alex was so nervous. 

"Not sure I'm following you, Danvers". 

Alex sighed, frustrated with herself for not being able to word things properly, and she folded and unfolded a dog-eared page in her notebook.

"I mean, you know, I'm- I'm the school nerd that spends all her spare time in the lab and who doesn't really go to parties and... and yet you're dating me. Don't- I mean- don't they make fun of you for being with me?"

Understanding flashed in Maggie's eyes as Alex stumbled her way through her sentence. She tried not to sound angry as she removed her goggles and held Alex's hands between her own, tried not to think about society and stereotypes and all the people in Alex's past - and maybe present - that had made Alex feel insecure about being exactly who she is. 

"Hey, look at me," she said and her heart almost broke as Alex's hesitant and vulnerable eyes flicked her way. "They don't make fun of us being together. They don't make fun of you. Because if they did, then they wouldn't be my friends anymore and because their opinion wouldn't really matter then. And because if they did, then I would single-handedly kick their asses". 

Alex gave a small smile and Maggie considered that a victory. She squeezed Alex's hands between her own. 

"You're perfect, Alex Danvers. You're smart and beautiful and I  _love_ that you're so talented. I love hearing you talk about butane and about rogue planets and about everything that lights up your eyes. I'm  _proud_ to be with you. I wouldn't want you to be any other way."

"You think I'm perfect?" Alex said, a throwback to one of their old conversations, and Maggie grinned with relief as Alex seemed to relax. 

And when Alex turned back to her vials and her notebook, Maggie noted the proud tilt of her head and the small smile on her face as she went on with her experiment. And she promised herself to remind Alex very often that she deserved all the good things in life.

For as long as she possibly could, that is.

 

~

It was pizza and movie night again in Alex's room.

The two girls were sitting on the floor, backs leaned against Alex's bed, sharing a family sized box of pepperoni pizza. Kara had barged in ten minutes ago to swipe a few slices - which they had predicted and which was exactly why they had bought the family sized one in the first place. 

Alex munched on her fourth slice and tried to focus on  _When Harry Met Sally._ It was very hetero but it was one of those classic romcoms that you just couldn't not watch - especially as a movie buff.

It was hard to focus because prom was looming closer and was just a few days away. And after prom, things were going to be different. Maggie was going away for a month to visit her extended family in Portugal and Alex was going to be working at a little cafe like she did every summer to make some extra money.

And so they needed to have the talk sometime soon. Really soon.

Alex decided to try and broach the subject - to test the waters a little bit. 

"So, any thoughts on what you want to be when you grow up?"

That's very subtle, Alex. Great job. 

Maggie turned towards her, her slice of pizza hanging limply from her hand. She swallowed. 

"When I grow up?" she smirked.

Alex gave a nervous laugh.

"You know what I mean, like when you're a proper adult". 

Maggie grabbed the remote and paused the movie with a "don't want to miss Meg Ryan having her fake orgasm, do we?" and then turned fully towards Alex, crossing her legs and giving her her full attention.

"I want to be a cop," she said simply. 

"A cop," Alex repeated. 

"Mhm".

"Like pew-pew, that kind of cop," Alex asked again, pretending to hold an invisible gun in her hands. 

Maggie tilted her head, amused. 

"Yes, that kind of cop, Danvers. Why? What do you want to be when  _you '_ grow up'". Her fingers made quotation marks around the words.

Alex shrugged, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand. 

"I don't really know," she said slowly. "There are so many things that you can be in life and I feel like making a decision at such a young age is -  I don't know - a bit hasty". 

"So what are your plans?" Maggie asked, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. 

Alex could tell that they were finally somehow having that talk right now and that whatever they said might be decisive. She tried to keep her tone noncommittal as she replied:

"I was thinking of maybe taking a year off? Making some extra money and then maybe traveling somewhere. I'm not sure yet. I just want to try and find myself". 

"You think traveling will help you find yourself?"

Alex almost bristled at Maggie's question - except Maggie's tone was genuinely curious and her eyes non-judgmental. 

"Maybe, I just - I guess you could say I'm stalling. I just don't feel ready to make a decision yet regarding my future, you know?"

Maggie nodded slowly and then she scooted closer to Alex, tilting her head again, and Alex felt herself melt. She loved how Maggie made her feel as if every word she uttered was of utmost importance. 

"What would be your dream job? In an ideal world," Maggie asked. 

Alex tapped her finger against her bottom lip. 

"Something having to do with science, but.. also helping people? And also, somehow, space". 

"Well, maybe being a doctor is your dream job". 

"It would cover the science bit and the helping people bit," Alex conceded. "But not the space bit".

"You could specialize in treating astronauts".

Alex laughed and when she looked back at Maggie, she knew it was with complete adoration.

"You make it sound so easy". 

Maggie shrugged, modestly - but Alex could see that her eyes were also tinged with sadness and Alex could secretly guess why. The conversation was maybe starting to take its toll on them, the seriousness of it, the fact that they were laughing about it now but that it was going to become an actual reality someday soon. 

Alex tried to lighten the mood - she appraised Maggie with her eyes, from head to toe. 

Maggie shifted self-consciously under Alex's scrutiny. 

"What?"

"I just- I'm sorry, I can't imagine you as a cop," Alex said but her words were accompanied by a teasing smile. 

"What, why not?" Maggie retorted, pretending to be offended. "Is it because I'm a woman?"

"Hush, don't go on one of your feminist rants, Sawyer. It's because you're just so... tiny. And cute".

"And deadly".

Alex snorted. 

"You do know they're going to call you Officer Dimples behind your back, don't you?"

"They will not! They're - they're going to tremble at the mere mention of my name". 

This time Alex threw her head back and laughed fully. The thought of people shaking in their boots whenever Maggie made an appearance was just too funny. 

"And where  _is_ this police academy?"

She didn't know why she had asked this right now, especially when they were having such a laugh about it. But she could see Maggie hesitate, running a hand through her hair. 

"It's um - well, there are different options but I'm thinking about going to ..  the Southvale Academy". 

Alex blanched. Southvale. 

"That's.. that's like four hours away isn't it?" 

Maggie nodded, eyes downcast. 

Alex didn't know what to say. She had considered this possibility, that Maggie would be moving somewhere far away. To follow her dreams. And Alex knew that sometimes high school relationships were exactly that : high school relationships. Life got in the way and even though she loved Maggie, maybe it just wasn't in the cards to be with her forever. And she could make it sad and weird now, she could point out the obvious - but if Maggie's trembling lower lip was any indication, Maggie was thinking this already. 

And so Alex decided to ignore her broken heart and she focused on trying to get Maggie to smile again. 

"Well, if you're going to Southvale, you really need to up your game, Sawyer". 

"Wh-what do you mean?" Maggie stared at her, confused at this turn of events. 

Alex got to her feet. 

"You need to know how to fight, don't you?"

"I mean, yeah, but they'll-"

"You need to be prepared. Come on, show me some moves". 

Alex punched the air a few times, grinning as Maggie rolled her eyes and got to her feet. 

She tried to seem bored but Alex could tell that her eyes were sparkling with a bit of excitement.

Maggie waited a few seconds and then raised her palms in the air. 

"Alex, you're supposed to attack me". 

"Oh, right". Alex took a step closer and felt Maggie's body stiffen in preparation. "Imagine you're walking down the street, and it's a really shady neighborhood. Suddenly-"

"Come  _on,_ Danvers," Maggie said but her voice shook as she tried not to laugh.

"I'm setting the scene!" Alex protested. "Suddenly a hot girl appears - that's me, by the way. You've seen her on Wanted posters around the office. You don't have your gun on you. And your pockets are overflowing with cash".

"Right".

"She spots you, moves closer, and-"

Alex grabs Maggie's arm - and then she's suddenly on her knees, her own arm bent behind her back. 

"Ouch, what the-"

"Sorry," Maggie grimaced apologetically, letting go of Alex's arm and helping her back to her feet. 

"What was that? How did you do that?"

"I took a self-defense class," Maggie shrugged nonchalantly. 

Alex gasped. "And you didn't think I should know that before you went all Kung-Fu Panda on me?"

"And miss the chance of seeing your shocked face?" 

Alex squinted at Maggie and then flung herself at her, trying to hold her in a headlock. Maggie squealed with laughter and managed to slip free, wrapping both her arms tight around Alex's middle and holding her arms in place. Alex kept writhing around, panting and giggling, and then they both stumbled on their own feet and fell on the bed, Maggie on top. 

Their laughter died in their throats when they realized how close they were and how Maggie's leg had somehow found itself wedged between Alex's. Their breaths mingled as they panted heavily, mouths inches apart. 

Maggie swallowed and licked her lips and Alex followed her tongue with wide flustered eyes. 

"Guess you won," Alex whispered. 

"Whatever," Maggie replied and leaned down to kiss her. 

They had been making out for weeks now but this time it felt different. Desperate. Intense. Hungry. And when they used to kiss, they always stopped before it went too far. Before their hands could venture to new uncharted territory. But right now, Maggie was slowly grinding against Alex's leg and Alex was sucking on her lower lip and their hands were everywhere all at once. 

And Alex had never been attracted to anyone like this. Had never loved anyone like this. And she wanted to be Maggie's first. Wanted Maggie to be her first. But their kisses were a little t _oo_ desperate, like they were trying to compensate for something else. Like they were trying to push back the unrelenting thoughts they've been having for the past few days. And Alex didn't want to sleep with Maggie like that. She didn't want it to be sad. She didn't want it to feel like a goodbye. 

And so she rolled Maggie off her, gently, tenderly. And when Maggie stared at her with a question in her eyes, Alex kissed her softly on the lips and then again on the forehead, her fingers smoothing her thick hair. 

And Maggie understood. 

And Maggie tried not to cry.

And she held Alex for the longest time.

 

~

It was when Maggie left to go home that Alex finally allowed her tears to fall freely. 

She curled up in bed and sobbed because it wasn't fair, because she wanted to ask Maggie to stay with her, to pick another police academy that was nearby. But she also knew that that would be selfish and she couldn't possibly ask Maggie to give up on her dreams. She would never be able to forgive herself. And she knew that Maggie would eventually resent her for it. 

But.. but she loved her so much. 

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts and deafened by her own sobs and sniffles that she didn't hear Kara coming in. 

She jumped, startled, when Kara slipped under the covers next to her and placed a small hand on Alex's shoulder. 

"I couldn't help but overhear".

Alex sighed and rolled around to face Kara. Her little sister's big blue eyes were filled with compassion and worry and that just made her want to cry some more.

"What did I tell you about using your superhearing to spy on me?"

Alex didn't really care about Kara snooping on her but she tried to play the part of the annoyed older sister nonetheless. 

Kara had the good grace to act sheepish. 

"I didn't! You were just.. crying really loudly".

"Oh". 

Alex didn't really know what to say to that. 

Luckily, Kara was persistant. 

"Is it Maggie?"

"Yes".

"Did you two have a fight?"

"No. Well, not exactly".

Kara hummed pensively, trying to piece things together. Alex knew that Kara's newest dream was to be a reporter and she was probably pretending that this was some interview that was going to make the headline. 

"Maggie seemed sad when she left".

"She was, I think".

"Is her dad being mean to her again?"

Alex shook her head. 

"What is it then? You can tell me, you know".

"Kara, I-"

"I can help".

Alex looked into her sister's keen eyes and at her encouraging smile and she decided that maybe telling Kara wouldn't be such a bad idea. 

"Maggie wants to go to Southvale. To a police academy. She wants to be a cop".

"Cool!"

"Southvale is four hours away, Kara".

"Mhm".

Kara didn't seem fazed by this information.

"And I'm not, Kara. I'm probably staying here or maybe I'll travel somewhere. Thing is, I don't know what I'm really doing with my life. And Maggie does, she has plans. That don't really include me. And I can't ask her to stay here and I know she won't ask me to come with her. Because we.. both need to grow, you know? And I love her too much to stand in the way of her happiness".

"You love her?"

Alex nodded and Kara beamed. 

"That's great! Did you tell her?"

"No".

"Did she?"

"No".

"I think you should tell her," Kara said wisely.

"Why? Wouldn't that make things harder?"

"I think you should tell her anyway". 

Alex considered it. Kara had a way of phrasing things that made everything seem easy and doable. 

And then Kara added, as an afterthought. 

"You don't need to break up, you know."

"I don't  _want_ to, Kara. I just don't know what to do".

"What do you mean? You have me".

Alex frowned and tried to be tactful. 

"Kara, you're my sister, I love you. But I love Maggie  _romantically_ ".

"I know that, jeez! You know, for such a genius, you're really stupid sometimes".

"Wow, thanks. That makes me feel so much better. And why am I stupid?"

"Because, doofus, I can  _fly"._

Alex waited for the rest. 

"And?"

"I can fly ..really fast". 

And Alex's eyes widened as Kara kept on talking and by the end, she was hugging her sister tighter than she ever had.

 

~

Maggie gasped when she went to pick Alex up in her father's truck so that they could go to prom - she had begged him to let her take the car but he was adamant. 

But all her annoyance with her father was forgotten as Alex opened the door and stepped outside. 

"You look.. um - wow, Alex". 

Alex grinned shyly and looked down at her dress. It was red and long with a split on the side and Alex had been to five different stores before she had found it - with Kara's help. Alex's hair was fabulous as always but she had straightened it for the occasion instead of the studied wavy disarray she usually sported. And she was wearing red lipstick to match her dress - which made Maggie want to kiss her until that lipstick wore off. 

And judging by the way Alex was looking at  _her,_ she was having the exact same thoughts. 

Maggie was wearing a short black dress - that had been her mother's. It was simple but it was tight in all the right places and Alex had quickly figured that out. She was staring intently at said places but then she seemed to snap out of it as she walked towards Maggie and kissed her on the cheek. 

"You clean up nice, Sawyer".

"So do you, Danvers". 

~

 

The dance-floor was packed as everyone danced with everyone. 

Alex and Maggie stood on the sidelines for a bit, trying to decide whether they wanted to drink or dance first. 

Winn, Alex's closest friend, stopped to say hi, smiling warmly at both of them. Too warmly.

"James and Lucy spiked the punch," he slurred. 'Woo!!"

"I'll have a drink then," Maggie decided, heading towards the fruit punch bowl and dragging Alex behind her.

Alex hesitated as Maggie poured herself a drink and then handed another to Alex. 

"Are you sure-"

Maggie took a sip and then made a face. 

"Yup, definitely spiked".

Then she downed the rest of it in one gulp. And poured herself another.

Alex watched, unsure of what to do. She wasn't really a big drinker and if she did drink, she rarely got drunk. However, Maggie was obviously a lightweight since she was already kind of swaying on her feet by the time she downed her second drink. 

She reached for the punch bowl again - but Alex grabbed her wrist with gentle fingers.

"Let's dance, I like this song," she said and Maggie - thankfully- gave up on that drink.

The song was slow and romantic, something about first love and first kisses and goodbyes. It was fitting but Alex tried to ignore the words and focused on not stepping on Maggie's shoes. 

Her hands were resting on Maggie's waist as Maggie's arms slowly reached up to wrap themselves around her neck. They shifted slowly on their feet, Alex glancing down frequently to make sure she was still in tune with Maggie's steps. 

Maggie smiled at that and leaned up to whisper in Alex's ear. She pretended the music was too loud but Alex knew it was just so that they could be closer. Not that she minded.

"This your first slow dance, Danvers?"

Alex blushed. Was it that obvious?

"Pfft, no. It's not. I've lost count actually, I-" She broke off as Maggie stared at her, head tilted and her smirk clearly told her that she wasn't buying it. "Yes, fine. It is". 

"I'm your first, then," Maggie said and her eyes glinted as she spoke, the multicolored lights in the room reflecting off her face. 

"Yes, you're my first," Alex replied and her words held a double meaning that she hoped Maggie could understand. 

And Maggie did because her lips parted in a silent sigh and she stood up on her tiptoes to rest her forehead against Alex's, tightening her hold around Alex's neck, her fingers tangling in her hair. And Alex felt her heart thundering in her chest as she held Maggie closer, as she felt her sweet breath against her lips, knowing that she will never feel this with anyone else. 

And so she decided to follow Kara's advice and she tilted her face back ever so slightly, and fell into Maggie's tender eyes.

"Maggie, I-"

She took a deep breath and Maggie froze, no longer moving.

"Maggie, I love you". 

As soon as she said those three words, Alex felt a weight leave her chest because she had been dying to say this for a long time. 

She saw Maggie suck in a sharp breath. Saw her lips tilt up in something that resembled a smile but that wasn't quite one. Felt her arms loosen around Alex's neck.

And Alex wasn't expecting an answer but she hadn't expected that Maggie would take a step away from her, her eyes filled with tears. 

That she'd run away when Alex tried to move closer to her.

And Alex wondered whether she had read the signs all wrong after all.

 

~

Alex didn't know why Maggie ran off but she wasn't leaving before she found out exactly why. 

This was a relationship and she wasn't going to let Maggie get away without an explanation. Not after everything they've been through.

Alex had thought that Maggie maybe loved her too. The signs all pointed towards that, didn't they? 

But maybe she was wrong, Maybe Maggie didn't feel that way, maybe Alex freaked her out by expressing her feelings like that. But if Maggie didn't love her, then Alex wanted to know. Even if it's going to be painful to hear.

She knew where Maggie was. There was only one place at school where Maggie liked to sit when she was having a bad day.

Under their favorite tree.

And so Alex headed there, holding her dress as she stepped over pebbles and a half eaten apple. And it was hard to see at first because it was quite dark outside but then her eyes adjusted and she spotted a familiar figure leaning against the tree. 

"Maggie?"

Maggie's head snapped up and she hurriedly wiped her tears away. 

"Alex? What- what are you doing here?"

Alex took a few steps closer and then stopped. She didn't want to scare Maggie away. 

"I'm looking for my date?"

Maggie scoffed, rolling her eyes at herself.

"Some date I am". 

Alex hesitated. 

"Maggie, I... I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?"

She saw Maggie shake her head slowly. 

"I'm sorry about.. about what I said," Alex went on. "I'm not sorry I said it, I.. I meant what I said, Maggie. I love you. I  _love_ you. But I'm sorry if you weren't ready to hear it".

"Alex, I-"

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way about me, it's.. it's okay," Alex said, her voice lower now so that Maggie wouldn't hear it breaking. 

Maggie groaned, frustrated, and then walked over to Alex, lifting her hands in a gesture that spelled helplessness. 

"Alex, it's not that. God, it's not that at all". 

"Then what-"

"I'm leaving. I'm  _leaving._ And you're not. And I hate this, I hate that it has to be like his. And I want to stay here so bad but I also need to get away from my dad and make my own life. But I also- I want you with me all the time and it's driving me crazy. Alex, I need you so much it's crazy". 

Alex listened, afraid to interrupt Maggie's train of thought. 

"And then you come here, looking gorgeous and you're saying all the right things, you've always said the right things to me. And you tell me that you  _love_ me and it just feels like you're saying goodbye and-"

"I'm not-"

"And you're going to become someone great, Alex. Someone big. You're going to be successful at whatever you do, I honestly believe that. You have so much potential, so much thirst for knowledge. I'm so  _proud_ of you. But it hurts to see you go. It hurts knowing that we're going to have to say goodbye soon because I can't ask you to wait for me, it wouldn't be fair to you. And even though sometimes I'm tempted to be selfish, I can't do it. I want you to be happy. Because-"

"Maggie, just let me exp-"

"Because I love you," Maggie breathed out in a sob. "I love you so much. And I'm being a shitty date but I've had a few drinks and it's hard to pretend like it doesn't hurt and-"

Alex presses her fingers against Maggie's lips, successfully shutting her up.

"Breathe," Alex says and she smiles softly as she feels Maggie's chest expand. "Good girl. Now I want you to listen to me. Okay?"

Maggie nods and Alex trusts her enough to move her hand away from her mouth. 

"I love you, Maggie. And it's not goodbye. Not if you don't want it to be. Because I'm crazy about you and if it means waiting for you and if it means driving four hours to see you then I'll do it. Four hours is nothing, Maggie, if it means getting to see you. Because I can't imagine not seeing you anymore. And I'd rather not see you for an extended period of time than never seeing you again. I want you to follow your dreams. And if your dream is to become a cop, then follow that dream, Maggie. And I lied- I can totally see you as a cop, saving people. You've saved me, haven't you?"

Maggie is staring at her like she's seeing her for the first time and Alex really wants to kiss her but she needs to finish what she has to say.

"However, I have.. something I need to tell you". 

Maggie frowned. 

"What?"

Alex doesn't know how to phrase this and so she starts with a "don't freak out" which of course, manages to freak Maggie out. 

"You've heard about aliens, right?"

Maggie nods. Aliens were all over the news recently and she knew that some weren't very nice. But others, like Superman for example, were kind and helpful. Aliens were basically just like humans if you thought about it.

And Alex starts talking and at first Maggie laughs in disbelief, and tells her to stop messing around, but then her smile is replaced with surprise and shock and she still isn't sure she believes Alex. But then Alex is showing her videos of Kara, of Kara flying around, of Kara using her super strength, and she's explaining that Kara's a good alien and that Kara has allowed her to reveal her true identity to Maggie because she trusts her. And Maggie doesn't need Alex to tell her that Kara is good because she could never imagine Little Danvers as anything but that. 

And then Alex is explaining that Kara is a fast flyer, and that a four hour drive is basically a ten minute trip with her, and that her little sister had volunteered to fly her over to Maggie's as often as she wanted, whenever she wanted, because she didn't want her favorite couple breaking up. 

And Maggie laughs and then she cries and then she laughs again and Alex finally allows herself to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her tears away because everything is going to be okay now. 

And for the first time in a long time, Maggie lets herself believe it. 

~

 

They dance a lot. 

They dance to all kinds of music.

There are lots of slow dances, lots of oldies. 

And then all those mainstream club songs that Maggie loves. 

And she pulls Alex closer when the beat drops, moving her hips against her, arms flung around her neck. 

And Alex has never really dirty danced before but she matches Maggie's moves easily and surprises both of them when she slips her knee between Maggie's legs. 

They start kissing and they don't know whether they're dancing or making out, and they kind of step on each other's shoes but they really couldn't care less. 

And when Maggie drives Alex home, pinning her against the door to kiss her goodnight, Alex hesitates before stepping inside.

"There's no one home, Kara's having a sleepover at her friend Lena's house," she explains. 

She doesn't add anything more and she doesn't need to. Maggie nods wordlessly and comes in. 

And there's lots of fumbling as they stumble inside Alex's room, struggling as they help each other unzip their dresses and hurriedly step out of them. And they sigh as they fall back on the bed, their lips melded together in what is probably the longest kiss in history. 

And it's clumsy and it's sexy because it's their first time but they're both eager to learn and eager to please. 

And Alex asks with her eyes before she slips her hand between Maggie's legs and she checks in often to make sure that this is okay, to ask if this feels good. And they both giggle against each other's mouths when Maggie has to readjust Alex's fingers. And then Alex doesn't have to check in anymore because the way Maggie is moaning is telling her all she needs to know. 

And when Maggie's head is between her legs, Alex self-consciously wonders if Maggie likes the way she tastes and if she's not grossed out by all this, but Maggie is eating her like she's her favorite kind of ice cream and pretty soon Alex can't even remember her own name.  

They only stop when the sun comes up, exhausted and sleepy and slightly hungover. 

But despite the fact that her limbs feel like mush, Maggie smiles. Because she was dreading the morning after prom. 

And now the morning after prom just feels like a new beginning. 

But then there's a knock on the door, and Alex and Maggie scramble to cover themselves into something resembling decency, as Kara pokes her head in:

"I couldn't help but overhear".

"Kara!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A third - and final - chapter, as promised!  
> You can also check out my college AU (Ride Or Die) or my one-shots (I Just Want To Kiss You) if you want to read more of my stuff!  
> Thanks for all your support.  
> You can also say hi to me on stillascalmwater

Alex didn't want to make things even sadder.

And so she tried really hard not to cry as she watched Maggie throw her big bag in the back of her truck. 

Maggie dusted off her hands on her trousers and turned around slowly to face her girlfriend. 

Her smile was soft and loving but Alex couldn't see a dimple - and so she knew that Maggie was trying just as hard not to cry either. 

Maggie looked down at her feet and placed her hands on her hips. "So.. I guess I should go". 

Alex nodded. "Yeah, you, um- you might be able to avoid traffic if you leave now". 

She didn't want to sound as if she was eager for Maggie to leave. Because she wanted Maggie to stay here forever. 

But maybe if she left, then she wouldn't have to keep feeling this... abandoned. 

Although she knew, deep down, that she was being ridiculous and that Maggie wasn't abandoning her - she loved her, she said so. 

And they had spent an amazing summer being over-the-top romantic and all over each other - which made Kara pretend to stick her finger down her throat in a hurling gesture quite often and telling them to "please, get a room, I'm too young for this". 

Alex sighed and hooked her fingers through Maggie's belt loops, pulling her closer.

"Let's not make this weird-"

"We're not-"

"You haven't been able to look me in the eye for longer than three seconds," Alex pointed out gently.

She placed a finger under Maggie's chin and tilted her face up - and was immediately taken aback by the tears in Maggie's dark eyes.

"Maggie, wh-"

Maggie shook her head, exhaling sharply, and pressed her knuckles against her eyes to keep the tears from falling. 

"Just ignore me," she said, using that voice she used when she was feeling way too much and wanted to sound like she had everything under control. 

Alex wasn't buying it.

She grabbed Maggie's wrists with both hands and brought them down, always softly, always tenderly. 

"You're not a good actress, Sawyer," she teased gently and was relieved when Maggie cracked a small smile. "There's that dimple," she breathed, leaning over to kiss Maggie's cheek.

Maggie leaned into it and then intertwined her fingers with Alex's, swinging their hands nervously, fussily. 

"I just- I'm going to miss you, Danvers". 

"I'm going to miss you too, baby. But it's not like this is goodbye, right?"

"Right, I know".

"It's just a ... see you later". 

Maggie nodded and then frowned. "When would that be?"

"As soon as you're settled in," Alex promised.

Kara had vowed to fly her over to Maggie's as often as she wanted. And she knew Kara was good for it. 

But Alex also didn't want to seem too clingy, didn't want to go to Southvale all the time.

Because this was an important time in Maggie's life - she needed to make new friends, to study, to train, to go out. 

And Alex had promised herself not to fly there on a daily basis - even though it was hard not to. 

Because Maggie needed room to grow, right? She didn't want Maggie to resent her if she was always around. 

And then Maggie stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, hugging her tight, and Alex had to stop herself from getting in that truck herself. From leaving everything behind to be with Maggie all the time. She held on tight, fighting off that tickling sensation in her nose that meant she was close to crying, and concentrated on the feel of Maggie's small warm body against hers. 

"Wait! You guys!!" 

Alex and Maggie pulled away from each other to watch an excited Kara running towards them, cheeks flushed. 

"Oh, great, you're still here," she grinned widely, skidding to a stop. "I thought I was too late". 

"What's up, Little Danvers?" Maggie smiled affectionately at her girlfriend's little sister. 

And then Alex noticed that Kara was clutching something between her hands.

And she blanched.

"Kar, what's that you're holding?"

"You said you were going to give this to Maggie," Kara frowned, looking at her sister and wondering briefly whether she had lost her short-term memory. "So she'd keep it in her room?"

Alex tried to shield the frame from Maggie's eyesight but Kara had already handed it to Maggie dutifully. 

"Kara, I- I didn't bring it for a _reason,_ it's- it's stu-"

"Stunning," Maggie said softly, staring at the framed picture of her and Alex. 

The camera was set on a timer so that Kara could be in that picture as well. 

Alex and Maggie were sitting on the floor, leaning their backs against the bed like they always did when they were watching a movie, arms around each other, Maggie's head resting lovingly on Alex's shoulder, Alex's lips brushing Maggie's forehead in a sweet kiss. They had a beer in their free hand and a box of pizza on the floor, already half-eaten. Kara was on the bed, holding two slices of pizza in one hand somehow, and giving the camera a big thumbs-up. 

They looked like a.. family. 

"You can- you don't have to put it anywhere, Maggie, I thought-" Alex tried to save the situation, planning how she was going to get back at Kara later on. 

But then Maggie looked up at her with shooting stars in her eyes and Alex's immediate reaction was to make a wish.

"Are you silly? I love it". 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's the first thing I'm going to put up when I decorate my dorm room," Maggie beamed, gazing at the picture again, shaking her head in awe. 

And then she was handing the picture over to Kara again, and flinging her arms around a surprised Alex, kissing her with all the love she had for her.

And Kara rolled her eyes and looked away - because of course they had forgotten she was there. 

"You're  _welcome_ ," she said but she knew Alex wasn't even listening. 

 

~

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Alex asked for the trillionth time as Kara threw a hoodie on. 

" _Yes_ , I'm sure. It was my idea, remember?"

Alex had waited two whole weeks before deciding to go visit Maggie at Southvale.

She had figured that it was long enough for Maggie to have settled in and made some friends. Maggie had been calling and texting her daily, telling her all about her professors and the courses she was attending, about the people she had met and what they were like. They'd Skype often, chatting about their day, Alex making her laugh about some of the customers she had to deal with at the cafe and Maggie sharing some stories of her own. They'd always end the call with soft "I love you"s, kissing their webcams, with Alex promising that she was going to visit soon.

And today was the day. 

Because Maggie really wanted Alex to come to this freshman party she was going to and "I want to show you off to all my friends" and "I can't wait to just get my hands on you". 

It was that last one that had made up Alex's mind. Two weeks apart was a reasonable amount of time. 

And so she stepped inside Kara's arms and kept her eyes open for the whole flight, looking at the buildings whoosh by in a blur and thanking her lucky stars that she had an alien sister as a taxi. 

The ride was over in less than twenty minutes and Kara deposited her with a flourish near the dorms, making sure that there were no witnesses. 

"When do you want me to come and get you?" Kara asked. 

"Tomorrow?" 

Kara grinned mischievously and Alex blushed. "Staying the night, are we?"

Alex ignored her sister's suggestive tone. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Kara rolled her eyes. "Of course, I have-" her voice dropped to a whisper as a gaggle of girls passed by them - "- I have superpowers, remember?"

Alex nodded slowly, leaning forwards to peck Kara on the cheek. "Just... don't burn the house down?"

"I'll try," Kara winked, looking around before bolting off into the sky.

 

~

 

It was fairly easy to find room 505 but Alex lingered in front of the door for a whole minute before knocking.

She didn't know why she was so nervous.

It was Maggie, for god's sake.

This wasn't a random blind date. It was her _girlfriend_.

And then Maggie flung the door open, beautiful with her sparkling eyes and her enthused smile, and Alex didn't even know why she had been so worried in the first place. 

She opened her arms, her smile mirroring Maggie's, and Maggie tackled her instantly, arms tight around her neck and legs around her waist. 

Alex laughed, carrying Maggie inside the room effortlessly and kicking the door shut as Maggie busied herself with kissing her neck. 

"I missed you," Maggie said between kisses and Alex's knees almost buckled as Maggie sucked on a sensitive spot. 

"I missed you, I missed you so much". 

And then Maggie's mouth was on her own, needy and warm, and Alex was parting her lips eagerly to allow Maggie's tongue access. 

Alex hummed and stumbled her way inside the small room before she bumped against the bed and fell down on it with Maggie still in her arms. 

Maggie was quick to get on top of her and Alex realized how turned on Maggie had been for the past couple of weeks - if the way she was already grinding against her was any indication. 

Alex stilled her with her hands on her hips. "Aren't you at least going to buy me dinner, first?" she teased, her words turning into a gasp as Maggie sucked on her lower lip.

Maggie stopped long enough to give Alex a smoldering look and Alex almost swooned. 

"How about I have you for dinner, instead?" she said, huskily. 

"That works too". 

And even though they had slept together before - and on an almost daily basis during the summer - this time felt different. It was needy and quick and hungry, with Maggie tugging Alex's clothes off almost right away, with Alex doing the same. 

And when Maggie was completely naked and grinding against her leg, Alex's heart faltered at how wet Maggie was already and how warm her skin felt against hers. 

Maggie didn't stop kissing her, not even for a second, as if she would die if every inch of her wasn't touching every inch of Alex at all times. 

She started moving, eyes closed, moans muffled against Alex's mouth. 

"Oh god, Danvers, I feel like I might come already," she gasped and Alex almost came right then and there. 

"Come then," Alex whispered. "Come for me". 

And Maggie couldn't get enough even after she came once, twice, three times. 

After Alex came just as much as well. 

She only stopped when Alex pretended to wave a flag around in surrender, a tired dreamy smile on her lips. "I need a break, please". 

Maggie's eyes twinkled as she nodded, snuggling up against Alex and resting her head on her chest. She drummed her fingers against Alex's torso, reproducing the pitter-patter of her heart.

"Du-dub, du-dub, du-dub. Your heartbeat sounds like a galloping horse, Danvers".

Alex chuckled softly, passing her fingers through Maggie's dark hair. "Because  _someone_ has been riding me like one". 

Maggie threw her head back with laughter at that, hiding her face against Alex's neck and kissing a pulse point. "Stop".

"Well, it's true". 

They stayed entangled in each other's arms for a long time, relishing the closeness and warmth and intimacy that they had been craving for two weeks now. Two weeks that had felt like two years for both of them.

"I'm happy you're here," Maggie said softly, rolling on her stomach to look Alex in the eyes.

"Yeah? I'm happy to be here". Alex looked around. "I love what you've done to the place". 

"I know it's not exactly super tidy-"

"You're not exactly the tidiest person-"

"True, but I made an effort for you," Maggie breathed sweetly, leaning in for a soft peck on Alex's lips. 

Alex couldn't stop smiling at all the physical intimacy, couldn't get over the fact that she was actually there - and she smiled even wider when she spotted the framed picture she had given Maggie sitting proudly on her desk.

She grabbed Maggie's hands and kissed her knuckles.

"Are we still going to that party?"

Maggie bit her lower lip. "Yes? Unless you don't want to?"

"No, I want to. I want to meet your friends," Alex reassured her hastily. 

She wasn't a big party person and she wasn't very good in new social situations but she wasn't going to tell Maggie that. She could see how excited Maggie was to introduce her to her friends and if she had to pretend to be an extrovert for a night, then she was going to do it if it meant making Maggie happy. 

"Great, because they can't wait to meet you".

 

~

Alex already felt out of her comfort zone as she stepped inside the loud club. 

Dubstep - she guessed, based on her minimal knowledge - was blaring through the speakers and Alex wondered how anyone could even dance to that.

Maggie seemed to be digging this though, as she pulled Alex by the hand, bobbing her head slightly, and helping her weave her way through the throng of dancers,

"My friends said to meet them by the bar," Maggie shouted over the music,

"What?! A binary star?" Alex shouted back, pretty sure she had misheard that - unless Maggie was now a space lover.

Maggie laughed. "No, you nerd. My frien- oh, here they are!"

Alex forced a friendly smile on her lips as Maggie introduced her to the group.

Clark, a tall broad guy with a strong chin and smart eyes who shook Alex's hand firmly and smiled at her kindly, equipped with his own set of dimples.

Adam, an overgrown puppy with a mop of messy brown hair and a wide crooked grin, and who reminded her oddly of Kara.

And Vasquez, a sturdy-looking woman with short hair and delicate features, who tilted her head at her in Maggie-fashion and stared at her curiously. 

"It's nice to meet all of you," Alex said, raising her voice and hoping she sounded cool enough to be Maggie's girlfriend. "Maggie has told me stories about you". 

"Did she tell you how annoying we all are?" Adam quipped and he and Clark laughed at that. 

"More or less," Alex said noncommittally. Were they bonding?

"Did you tell her how you met us?" Vasquez asked, throwing her drink back like it was nothing.

Alex wished she could hold her liquor like that.

"I.. think so?" Maggie turned towards Alex, quirking her eyebrows questioningly. "I told you I met them at the LGBT group I go to, right babe?"

"LGBT group?" Alex repeated, feeling stupid.

This was definitely the first time she heard about that.

Maggie shrugged casually. "I thought I told you. It's this afternoon thing we all attend. You know, to talk, to meet people from our community".

Alex nodded, glancing at Maggie's friends with fresh eyes.

"So you're all-" she pointed at them.

Clark laughed good-naturedly. "I'm gay, known ever since I was five, I think. Adam here, well-"

"I'm not sure yet," Adam shrugged easily.

Alex turned towards Vasquez and waited.

"As straight as a rainbow," Vasquez winked.

Maggie laughed at that and Alex forced a laugh as well. She didn't know why but this Vasquez person wasn't making her feel too comfortable.

Although she hadn't really done anything except stand there and drink.

And then a hit-song came up - and Alex recognized it because she had heard Kara singing it in the shower for the past week- and Maggie started swaying on her feet automatically, mouthing the lyrics to herself. 

Vasquez handed Adam her drink and walked towards Maggie.

"Mind if I borrow your girlfriend for a second?" she asked Alex. "She promised to dance with me if this song ever came up".

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I thought you forgot about that".

"A deal's a deal," Vasquez replied with a smile. 

Alex hoped that it was dark enough so that Maggie and her friends couldn't see the color rise to her cheeks. "Yeah, um- sure, no problem". 

"I'll be right back, babe," Maggie grinned, planting a kiss on her lips.

And then Vasquez pulled her by the arm and they skipped towards the dance-floor.

 

~

Maggie bobbed her head and shifted on her feet, arms above her head, laughing as Vasquez did a weird version of the robot. 

She tried to look past her, hoping to catch a glimpse of Alex, but there were too many people around her. 

"Earth to Maggie," Vasquez snapped her fingers in front of her face. "You promised to dance, not space out". 

Maggie shook her head. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just-"

"I know, you want to be with your girlfriend," Vasquez smiled, understanding crinkling her eyes. "I get it. She seems nice". 

"She's amazing," Maggie nodded, feeling the corner of her lips tug up in a smile at the mere mention of Alex. 

"That is so sweet, look at you smiling. Bad-ass Maggie Sawyer is in love," Vasquez teased, nudging Maggie gently.

Maggie didn't really see why she would protest to that and so she just nodded again. "Yes, very much in love".

"That's good, friend, I'm happy for you," Vasquez said earnestly, pulling Maggie close for a hug. 

And then Alex was there, and she was clearing her throat loudly, eyes skittish, and Maggie was pulling away from Vasquez because Alex was _here_ and she had been stupid to leave her for one lousy song. 

She tugged Alex towards her, as Vasquez turned around and started dancing with Clark, and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck.

"Did you miss me?"

"Mhm," Alex said and Maggie frowned at the way she wasn't really looking her in the eye. 

"Something wrong?"

"Nope," Alex shook her head. "Let's dance". 

Maggie didn't know that Alex could dance like that. 

They had dirty danced when they were drunk at prom but Alex wasn't really comfortable busting a move when she was sober. 

But she was completely sober now and her hands were all over Maggie, and her knee was between Maggie's legs, and her mouth was against her neck.

And Maggie's body responded to that because it was Alex and Alex touching her always made her feel hot and desirable but something was also slightly off. Because Alex still wasn't really making eye contact - she was kissing her, yes, her lips moving against hers as if they were the only two people in the room - but there was something desperate there too. 

As if Alex was trying too hard, as if Alex had something she wanted to prove.

And so Maggie pulled back, even though she wanted nothing more than to let go and have fun with the girl of her dreams.

"Alex, hey, hold up- are you-"

"Can't hear you," Alex said loudly, pointing to her ear and shaking her head. 

Maggie wasn't going to let this go that easily though. If Alex wasn't having a good time, she wanted to know why.

And so she grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her outside the club, walking to a secluded spot on the pavement where they could talk with no interruptions. 

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong".

"Then why won't you look at me?"

Alex sighed and looked up at Maggie and Maggie had never seen Alex's eyes look this hard and vulnerable at the same time.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked again, softer this time, tilting her head with concern. 

" _Nothing_ , what, I can't dirty dance with my own girlfriend-"

"I didn't say that, you're being very defensive," Maggie said in soothing tones, lifting her palms up. "Just.. talk to me". 

Alex exhaled sharply, her gaze flitting everywhere like it usually did when she was distressed.

She lifted her finger and it broke Maggie's heart a little - because she knew that it meant that Alex was about to say something personal, something that was clearly hurting her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to an LGBT group?"

Maggie frowned. She hadn't expected that. 

"What- what do you mean? I told you, I forgot-"

"How could you  _forget_ something like that?"

"Alex, we talk for hours a day, I thought I told you," Maggie explained, trying to make sense of where this was going. "It happens". 

Alex shook her head, apparently not convinced and Maggie finally started to piece things together. It was pretty obvious when she actually thought about it. And she knew Alex well, knew how her mind worked, knew what things pushed her buttons and what things she shouldn't approach, and she did want to be a detective someday, so she was good at detecting.

"Is this about Vasquez?"

The way Alex flinched at the name told her she had guessed right.

"Are you jealous?"

Alex's sharp humorless laugh told her she was right again. 

She placed a soft hand on Alex's elbow. "Alex, Vasquez and I are just friends". 

Alex paused and her eyes were cold this time, betrayed. "Yeah? Didn't look that way".

"What do you mean?" Maggie frowned, confused. 

Alex shrugged Maggie's hand away and Maggie's face dropped instantly. They were having such a good time back at her dorm, they had amazing sex, and they were in love and happy and now they were having this weird conversation and Alex didn't want Maggie touching her. 

"You met her at an LGBT group," Alex ticked off her fingers. "You've never mentioned she was gay. You went off to dance with her and left me by myself. And when I came over to see what you were doing, you two were hugging". 

Maggie blinked slowly and felt her blood start to boil. 

"I haven't mentioned she was gay because I didn't think it was urgent information," Maggie ticked off her own fingers, her tone harder now. "I don't think people are defined by their sexual orientation and it's not how I would spontaneously present them to anyone. We were dancing like any two _friends_ would, we weren't even  _touching._  And she was hugging me because I was telling  her how in  _love_ with you I am and she was  _happy_ for me". 

Alex's eyes flickered with self-doubt and uncertainty but Maggie was too angry to stop now. 

"Is that why you were dancing with me like that? Trying to mark your territory?"

"I wouldn't put it like that-" Alex tried to rectify. 

Maggie lifted up her hand and Alex clamped her mouth shut. "Alex.. did you think I was cheating on you? That I _would_ cheat on you?"

Alex rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, closing her eyes.

"No- it's not- I don't-"

"Alex, you either trust me or you don't," Maggie said slowly, pensively. "And if you really believe that I love you then you wouldn't just assume I was cheating on you because I was interacting with a girl who also happened to be gay". She paused again. "I guess you don't really trust me after all". 

Alex shifted on her feet, staring at Maggie with tears in her eyes and Maggie really wanted to just hold her and wipe them away but she was also hurting. 

"You should go," she said and she tried not to cry as Alex nodded wordlessly, grabbing her phone to text Kara. 

They stood in the cold, arms crossed, heads tipped down, and Maggie thought she heard Alex draw a breath - maybe to say something, maybe to make it all better - but then Kara was there in record time, her gaze flicking from Alex to Maggie quickly and her shoulders sagging with obvious relief when she saw that they weren't hurt. 

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Let's just go, Kar," Alex said calmly and for once, Kara was tactful enough not to ask why.

 

~

 

**Alex (10:04): Hey**

 

**Alex (10:15): helloo?**

**Alex (10:30): are you still upset with me?**

**Alex (11:30): Maggie?**

 

"She won't return my texts," Alex moaned, face pressed against her pillow as Kara sat on the floor, scrolling through Facebook. 

"Well, of course she's not," Kara replied with a shrug. "You hurt her feelings". 

Alex lifted her head up to glare at her sister. 

Kara wasn't really looking at her though and so the glare was ineffective. 

"Thanks, Kara," she said bitterly.

"What, it's true".

"I know it is, but it's not really helping," Alex whined. "I know I messed up".

" _Do_ you trust her though?"

Alex took her time answering that, took the time to actually be honest with herself.

"I do trust her, I just.. I guess I don't really trust myself? You've seen her, she's beautiful and smart and-"

"Alex, you're all those things too," Kara said softly, finally looking up from her phone.

Alex mumbled something unintelligible and went back to wallowing in misery.

Kara sighed and put her phone away, plopping on the bed next to Alex and taking the pillow off her face. 

"Okay, how do you want me to help you?"

"How can I fix it?"

"I think you pretty much single-handedly destroyed-okay, I was  _joking_ , don't look at me like that".

Kara tapped her bottom lip with her finger and frowned pensively. 

"Based on my experience-"

"What now?"

"- watching movies, when one of the characters messes up and has to fix things, I found that grand gestures almost always do the trick".

Alex's initial reaction was to make fun of Kara's idea but then she stilled as a plan started to form in her mind.

"A grand gesture," she repeated. 

 

~

Maggie walked back to her dorm room, having finished her last course for the day.

She hadn't really looked at her phone, even though it had buzzed a few times. She wasn't ready to see what Alex had sent her. Wasn't ready to see a break-up text from the girl she loved. 

But then she froze.

Because the girl she loved was standing at her doorstep, looking stunning with her scintillating eyes and her sweet soft smile, and she was holding a flower between her fingers.

"Alex, what- what are you doing here?"

"I came here to see you, of course," Alex said gently, clearing her throat and looking faintly nervous. 

Maggie didn't know whether to laugh or cry so she stood there, head tilted to the side, waiting. 

"Maggie, I- I have a few things I have to say". 

Alex took a deep breath, as if she was going to dive underwater and Maggie knew how hard it was for Alex to talk about her feelings sometimes and so she nodded encouragingly. 

"I freaked out, last night, I'm... very aware of that. And I had a lot of time to think about what happened, to.. process my feelings. And I've been thinking about this all of yesterday and during my drive here today-"

"You  _drove_ here?" Maggie gasped, knowing fully well that that would have taken four hours at least.

Alex lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Yes. Because it would be too easy to fly here and I wanted to.. show you that even if Kara didn't have superpowers, I would still come here to make things right". 

Maggie's lips trembled as she smiled but Alex wasn't done yet. 

"That's not why I'm here though. I wanted to tell you that... yes, I was jealous. Jealous of the people that get to be around you when I'm not. Who get to see you laugh and talk and exist. And I- I don't know, I felt insecure when you went off with Vasquez, I-" Alex exhaled. "I shouldn't have assumed the worst, I think I'm still just- I still don't know what you see in me?"

Alex's voice broke at those words and she lifted a finger up.

"And so I got scared of losing you, Maggie. And I know it's not an excuse, I know it was unforgivable to think that you would ever do anything like that to me. That you would ever cheat on me. Because.. I might not really love myself all that much, Maggie, but I know you love me. I know you love me". She repeated it twice, like a mantra, to give herself strength. "And with you, I know I can learn to love myself more. Maybe I'll even love myself as much as I love you. Because I  _love_ you, so much. And I'm  _sorry_ for hurting you". 

She took a step closer, hesitatingly brushing her fingers against Maggie's cheek.

"You're a good person, Maggie Sawyer. Forgive me. Don't- don't give up on me just yet.". 

Maggie shook her head slowly, and Alex's heart sank for a second, but then Maggie was cupping Alex's face between her hands and she was speaking earnestly.

"Alex Danvers, I love you because you're kind and funny and articulate and smart and beautiful and you have a heart of gold that  _anyone_ would be happy to have. And I forgive you. Relationships are hard work sometimes and I'm not calling it quits over one stupid fight, okay?"

Alex nodded, blinking her tears away as Maggie stood up on her tiptoes, kissing her tenderly, her fingers swiping her cheeks. 

But then Alex pulled back, eyes still closed - a cute habit Maggie had recently started to notice. 

"Wait, I'm not done".

"Oh?" Maggie crossed her arms, amused. 

"No, one more thing- well, two more things," Alex corrected herself, handing Maggie the rose. "First, this. Because Kara told me that when you apologize, you should have flowers".

Maggie chuckled affectionately. "Little Danvers, the relationship expert".

"The second thing is, I, um- I kind of messaged all your friends on Facebook". 

Maggie's eyes widened in surprise. "What for?"

Alex laughed to herself, a bit nervously and Maggie felt herself falling for her all over again. 

"I- I asked them to come to your place tonight, for dinner and a DVD? Maggie, I- your friends seem really nice and I was antisocial because, well- you know. And also because that place was loud. But I want to really get to know them. For you. And because I think it'll be fun. So- I have DVDs and chips and dips in my car, I didn't bring them up because I wasn't sure you were going to talk to me. But- you in?"

Maggie responded by kissing Alex again and again and again and she felt Alex sigh against her lips, felt her shoulders relax as if a big weight has been lifted off them.

"I am in, Alex Danvers".

For the long haul, she added to herself. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit:  
> I see everyone is rooting for another chapter. And even though I said this was the final one, I want to make y'all happy so there WILL be a fourth chapter. I don't know when but it'll happen. Pinky promise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last (for real this time) chapter of my HSAU (that kind of morphed into a whole timeline thing).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you've all enjoyed this fic!   
> I know I had a great time writing it.  
> Feel free to leave your comments and let me know what you think.   
> If you want to read more of my work, you can check out "I Just Want To Kiss You" and "Ride Or Die".   
> You can also say hi to me at stillascalmwater

The day Maggie finally became an actual police officer was one of the best days in Maggie's life. It was right up there - but not quite - with the time she had asked Alex to become her girlfriend, the day they had confessed their love for each other, the first time they made love, and basically a variety of other moments she had shared with the girl of her dreams. 

As she waited for her name to be called during the badge ceremony, Maggie looked at the crowd and spotted Alex immediately. It was hard not to - Alex's smile was radiant and she waved as she caught Maggie's eye. Maggie gave her a subtle wink and tried not to swoon as Alex winked back. Kara, camera glued to her hand, was there too and Maggie knew that she would have probably squealed had Alex not given her a talk before they got there. 

It was funny how she considered Alex and Kara her family now instead of her biological one. How her father had said that he was too busy to go to Southvale to attend her graduation and that she could just send him some pictures to save him the trouble. 

She had thought that his indifference would destroy her - like it often did in the past - but was pleasantly surprised when she realized that it hadn't hurt as much as she had expected. Because the love in Alex's eyes and the joy in Kara's were enough to hold the tears back and enough to make her heart swell.

And then Maggie's name was called and she walked across the stage - hoping she doesn't trip on anything due to her nerves,- shook a few hands, received her certification from the academy director, and was presented with her badge. She had been given the option to have a family member or friend pin the badge on her and she had chosen Alex. She hadn't told Alex about this and had wanted it to be a surprise. 

And so she broke formation with the rest of her colleagues - as they each called their mothers, fathers, spouses or siblings - and headed straight for Alex. She noted the way Alex's eyes widened, the way she stood up hesitantly to meet Maggie halfway, her lips quirking up in a puzzled smile. Kara kept her camera trained on them as if it had become an extension of her.

She pulled Alex towards the stage, Kara in tow. 

"Maggie, what are you-"

"Alex Danvers, will you pin my badge for me?"

She expected Alex's blinding smile but not the tears that brimmed in her eyes a second after.

"Really?"

Maggie's fingertips skimmed Alex's cheek in a caress, not caring if she got teased later on by her colleagues for being a softie. 

"Yes, really. People usually pick someone very.. important to them. Someone who has been there all along, who has encouraged them, who has helped them get to this point in time".

"Maggie-" Alex choked out. 

Maggie pressed the badge inside Alex's hand, closing her fingers around it. 

"You're the most important person in my life," she breathed out, gazing at Alex as if they were the only two people in the room.

She could tell that Alex really wanted to pull her into her arms and kiss her until she forgot her own name and what they were here for but Kara broke the spell by clearing her throat.

"Alex, if you don't pin that badge, then I will," she teased and Alex and Maggie both laughed and playfully shoved her shoulder.

Of course, she didn't budge one centimeter. 

Alex smoothed Maggie's uniform ceremoniously and licked her lips in concentration as she pinned the badge on her chest. Maggie's expression was solemn but her eyes were dancing with a thousand stars. 

"I'm so proud of you," Alex whispered, stepping back and allowing herself a moment to look at her newly graduated girlfriend. 

It was Maggie's turn to get teary; because she still wasn't used to anyone being proud of her, to anyone looking at her like she was important, like she had done well, like she was enough and worth the trouble. 

And that pride was reflected in Kara's eyes too and Maggie had so much love in her heart for the Danvers' sisters that she felt like she was about to implode. 

"We love you too," Alex said, reading her thoughts and Maggie added this moment to her list of favourites.

 

~

 

Life was particularly good after that. 

Maggie's life as a police officer was tiring and stressful at times but it also felt like it was her calling, like it was what she was supposed to be doing with her life. And with Alex having moved in with her - having found a job as an astronomy teacher at a university nearby - she couldn't have asked for anything better.

Alex hadn't expected to become a teacher and she had considered herself too young to give lectures, but her talent was quickly spotted by her own professors and she had received a series of highly rated recommendations. It had then prompted a torrent of job offers and when she found one that was in Southvale, she had decided to take it. 

It wasn't all that bad and Alex found herself actually looking forward to her classes and her students- they were a bright bunch that reminded her of herself and had a thirst for knowledge that she found refreshing. 

And during dinner, she'd tell Maggie about her day, about the chapter she had tackled and how her students had reacted, about the latest gossip she'd picked up about the other professors. Maggie would regal her with stories about her own day, about a successful - or unsuccessful- mission, and about the latest news concerning the Donuts Thief.

"You still haven't managed to catch him?" Alex asked around a bite of pizza.

"Could be a she," Maggie remarked. "And no. I left a box out in the open today and I swear I only turned my back on it for two seconds-"

And Alex worried about Maggie.

Of course she did. 

She knew that danger was sometimes a part of the job, that Maggie had to put her life on the line to save innocent people. And she knew that Maggie was always vigilent, always careful but she was also aware of the fact that accidents happened and that it wasn't really the safest career in the world. 

And so they had a little ritual before Maggie went off to work every morning. 

A ritual that consisted of Alex wrapping her up in her arms and holding her as tight as she could, kissing the top of her head. And Maggie would lean into that hug every time, would press her mouth against Alex's neck and would kiss that spot where she could feel her pulse beating securely. 

"Take care," Alex would whisper against her hair. "Please". 

And Maggie never scoffed, never complained, never teased her for being worried, for repeating that little phrase - that little prayer - everyday. Because she knew that if their roles were reversed she'd latch on to Alex and probably wouldn't be strong enough to let her walk out the door. 

And so instead, she replied with "always" and stood on her tiptoes to reach Alex's mouth, kissing her with a fire that was still burning strong after years of being together. 

 

~

It was a year after they had settled into a comfortable routine that Maggie started noticing that something was off. 

She felt that Alex was being somewhat distant. That she was often day-dreaming or lost in her thoughts. That she'd isolate herself in the recesses of her mind, shutting Maggie out. She'd sometimes stay out all night and would only come back when Maggie was already tucked in bed, pretending to be asleep.

When Maggie asked her about her mysterious outings, Alex would answer with something vague. "I needed some fresh air" or "I had a craving for some ice-cream" were the usual contenders. 

Maggie tried to ignore it, tried to convince herself that it was just a phase and that Alex would go back to her usual self someday soon but the more time went on, the more Maggie felt like this was going to be permanent. Until of course Alex finally gathered the nerves to break up with her. 

Because that's what Maggie had allowed herself to presume. 

That maybe Alex didn't really love her anymore, that she was unhappy and wanted to spend as much time away from her as possible. That she wanted to leave her but didn't know how to do it. That maybe a comfortable routine wasn't the kind of life Alex wanted to lead. 

And it was making Maggie's heart shatter into little pieces every time she thought about it - which was all the time-  which made her finally decide to confront Alex. 

To make it easy for her.

Because Maggie was head over heels in love with Alex but didn't want her to stick around if she didn't feel the same for her. She didn't want to live a lie and didn't want Alex to feel trapped in a relationship she didn't want to be in. 

And so she waited until Alex came home one night, well after midnight. She heard Alex tiptoeing around the room, shrugging off her jacket, her trousers and her shirt and slipping into her comfy pajamas. 

But before Alex could crawl into bed, Maggie spoke. 

"Where were you?"

She saw Alex still for a second, hesitating.

"I went out for a walk," she replied in a whisper, even though Maggie was obviously awake. "I needed -"

"Some fresh air, yeah, I know," Maggie finished her sentence, a tinge of impatience in her voice. 

She figured that being annoyed with Alex would be easier than being heartbroken and breaking into tears. 

"Um, did I wake you?" Alex ventured.

Maggie sighed and reached behind her, flipping the light switch on. She blinked a few times and Alex did the same, both of them adjusting to the sudden brightness of the room.

Maggie was quick to notice Alex's face - how her features were drawn and exhausted, how her eyes were tinged with red as if she had rubbed them aggressively or had spent the night crying, how her lips were turned down. Maggie felt her heart go out to her, because whatever was happening, she couldn't bear to see Alex looking so.. miserable.

"Alex," she said softly. "What is it?"

Alex averted her eyes, still standing at the side of the bed as if she couldn't trust herself to get under the covers. "Nothing, I-"

"Alex-"

"Can't we just go to sleep?" Alex asked, her tone desperate. 

Maggie's eyes welled up with tears and she forced herself to blink them away. She will not cry. Not now. 

"No, we can't," she answered. "Not before you tell me what's going on". 

"I'm just tired-"

"Alex, I'm- I'm not stupid. Do you think I haven't noticed?" 

Alex had the good grace of not pretending like she didn't know what Maggie was talking about. Instead, she bowed her head and waited for the rest. 

"You haven't been talking to me. You're not here most of the time and when you  _are_ here, it's like you want to be somewhere else. And I've- I've tried to be understanding, I thought you were maybe.. reconsidering things, and I wanted to give you your space to figure things out. I didn't want to tamper with your decision. But.. I don't think I can wait anymore, Alex. If.. if you don't love me anymore, then just tell me". 

"Maggie-"

"I can take it," Maggie said, even though the way her voice broke clearly indicated that she couldn't. "I just.. need to know. I need to know, Alex". 

Alex shook her head slowly, sitting on the bed and taking Maggie's hands between her own. She rubbed her thumbs against Maggie's palms and that familiar gesture was almost enough to make Maggie dissolve into a sobbing mess. 

Alex licked her lips as she thought about what to say.

And then Maggie saw the grim determination in her bottomless eyes before she opened her mouth to finally speak.

"Maggie, some.. things have been happening". 

"Things?" Maggie repeated, her mind immediately jumping to the worst possible scenarios. 

"Things that I haven't had the heart to tell you about," Alex continued, gazing at their intertwined fingers. 

Maggie nodded to herself as Alex paused. 

"Have you met someone else?" she asked in a whisper - because it was a thought that had been popping up uninvited and insidious recently and one that she knew in her rational mind couldn't be true but that she couldn't stop herself from considering anyway. 

Alex's head snapped up,  brow furrowed. 

"What? No! How could you possibly-"

"You weren't engaging with me, I thought-"

"You thought that I was into someone else?" Alex said incredulously. "Do you think I could ever replace you like that?"

"Then what-" Maggie stopped as another horrifying thought surfaced. "Are you- are you sick? Alex, are-"

Alex was quick to reassure her, hands gripping her shoulders tightly. "I'm not sick, I'm perfectly healthy. Just.. listen to me?"

Maggie nodded, exhaling sharply with relief. 

But Alex's face was deadly serious and Maggie wondered what it could possibly be. 

"I've had another job offer," Alex finally said. "Well, not exactly an offer, it's.."

She trailed off, eyes shut and finger lifted up and Maggie knew that whatever it was, it was huge.

"I've been asked to work at a.. secret organization," she continued after a moment. "Apparently, they've heard about my.. skills and they want to put them to good use". 

"Who's they?" Maggie asked. "The FBI?'

"Not quite," Alex smiled grimly. "It's something called DEO. The Department of Extra-normal Operations. They specialize in everything alien related". 

"Do they-"

"Yes, they know Kara's my sister. And they think my knowledge of space and aliens could be very useful to their work". 

Maggie nodded, trying to take it all in. 

"Okay. Why- I mean, don't you want this kind of job?"

"I do, that's the problem". 

"I'm not following, Danvers". 

Alex squeezed Maggie's hands, as if to stop her from bolting towards the door. "The job they've offered me, it's.. not just research. They want me to work on the field with them. As an- as an agent". 

"An agent?" Maggie repeated, finally beginning to understand. "You mean-"

"They want to train me so that I could.. fight with them," Alex explained. 

Maggie blinked, trying to quell her initial reaction to panic. "You? Fighting?"

Alex shrugged. "J'onn, he's- he's in charge, he promised that it's feasible. He used to know my dad and- I don't know Maggie, it just feels like something I've got to do". 

"So it's dangerous," Maggie stated.

"Yes," Alex said simply. "Sometimes. I mean, just like your job is".

"I don't fight aliens-"

"I know but it's the same principle. I want to protect you, I want to protect my sister. Superman can't do it alone, that's why the DEO is there. To help. I've- I've seen where they work, Maggie, and it's very professional but it could use more tweaking. And I already have some ideas, I have that telescope model I've been working on and-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Maggie interrupted.

Alex gently cupped Maggie's face between her hands. "Because I didn't want you to worry". 

Maggie moved Alex's hand away and scoffed. "But you've already decided. To risk your life". 

Alex sighed. "Maggie, do you remember years ago when you asked me what I wanted to be? What my ideal job would be? Do you remember what I told you?"

"Something having to do with science, with helping people and with space," Maggie recited. 

Of course she remembered.

She remembered everything that had ever come out of that beautiful mouth. 

"Exactly," Alex smiled softly. "And now I have the chance to do exactly that. I mean, teaching is great and everything but.. there are jobs that you can satisfy yourself with, that are stable and with relatively good pay. And there are jobs you can _excel_ at, that can make you incredibly happy because they just.. feel  _right._ That's how I feel about this job". She swallowed. "I won't take this job if you don't want me to. And I've been distant because I was considering whether I should just say no and spare you.. this. I was distant because I was thinking about whether I wanted to engage in something so risky. I'm sorry I made you feel neglected". 

"You didn't," Maggie said automatically. "I.. I understand better now". 

Alex nodded, the ghost of a smile on her lips, waiting. 

And Maggie knew she couldn't say no.

Because Alex was her own person and Alex was meant for greatness - something that Maggie had told her during her speech at prom.

And she meant it. 

Alex was the brightest person she had ever met, with the kindest heart in the world. She deserved to do something she loved doing, even if that meant that Maggie would be the one worrying too this time. And even though she'd love nothing more than to keep Alex safe all the time, she understood what it was like to have a calling. She understood what it was like to want to go out there and make a difference, to go out there and save people. 

It wasn't her choice to make. But she loved Alex for giving her a say in this anyway. 

She ignored the heaviness in her heart and put on a brave face, for Alex. "You should take the job".

"Really?" Alex said, looking at her like she couldn't believe it. 

"Of course, Danvers. You're going to be their top agent, I just know it". 

"You're not mad?"

"I'm not mad, I just wish you'd told me sooner," Maggie said as Alex gathered her up in her arms. 

"I'm sorry," Alex sighed against her hair and Maggie was glad to feel that Alex's shoulders had relaxed for the first time in weeks. 

She leaned away and kissed Alex, earning herself a small surprised hum. And then the kiss wasn't so soft anymore as Maggie frantically undressed them both, wanting to feel Alex's body against hers, her warmth, her skin, her steady heartbeat. 

And Alex knew what Maggie wanted and she complied wordlessly, her lips tracing a scorching line along Maggie's neck, sucking hard until she knew she had left a hickey. Maggie hissed, clutching Alex's head against her, relishing the return of their physical intimacy. 

And she told herself that even though their lives were about to change, all that mattered was holding Alex in her arms, just like this, at the end of every day. 

 

~

 

The second time Alex was acting really weird was a year after.

Alex had been working at the DEO ever since and - even though Maggie would have never thought it possible a year ago - she felt relatively relaxed when Alex headed out every morning. 

Yes, she worried. 

Yes, she made sure to text Alex throughout the day to make sure she was alright. 

But Maggie had been allowed to visit the DEO and she was relieved to find out that it was run by people who knew what they were doing and who seemed to really like Alex. J'onn in particular was very fond of Alex and had reassured Maggie that she was in safe hands.

It was as if he had read her mind. 

What also helped was the fact that she sometimes worked with the DEO. They weren't known as that, of course, to her fellow police officers but they had been on quite a few missions together and had had the chance to fight side by side.

And she had never expected to see her nerdy girlfriend kicking someone's ass but agent Alex Danvers was apparently quite good at that now. She was a fast learner and Maggie found herself annoyingly turned on and distracted during their missions and had to remind herself to move before she got herself killed over something so stupid. 

She made sure to tell Alex exactly how hot she was when they got back home though, slipping her hand inside Alex's pants before they even stepped inside. 

Kara visited them on an almost daily basis and when she decided to study in Southvale as well, she was over at their place pretty much all the time. And it never bothered Maggie - even though Alex would sometimes scold Kara for dropping over unannounced when they needed to be  _alone_ together - because it felt like she had a family. Who bickered and laughed and loved each other to bits. 

And then Alex was being weird and Maggie couldn't help but think of the first time she had been weird and she wondered whether Alex had more surprising news for her. 

It was another kind of weird though. Alex wasn't being distant; she wasn't leaving in the middle of the night. 

She just seemed.. edgy. Restless. Jumpy. 

She and Kara would exchange secretive glances and she would sometimes find them huddled together in a corner whispering together - and she knew it was a sister thing and she knew how close the two of them are but she couldn't help but feel that they were up to something. Hatching up some kind of plan. 

Until she came home one day and wondered for a second whether she was in the wrong house.

Because her living room had been transformed into a laboratory. 

A laboratory that looked an awful lot like the one at school. 

And Alex was standing in the middle of the room, her safety goggles on, smiling at her in a way that made her heart flutter. 

"Alex, what is this?" Maggie asked. "Is it Halloween already?"

Alex laughed but it was soft, nervous and she shook her head. "No, it's not. I've um-" She moved her goggles out of the way. "- I wanted to ask you something".

"Okay," Maggie said slowly, completely puzzled. 

Alex took a deep breath and stepped forward, taking Maggie's hands between her own. Maggie was baffled when she felt Alex's fingers trembling against hers and she realized how anxious Alex was. 

But there was also a smile on her face - a serene, blissful smile - and Maggie felt like it couldn't possibly be bad news. Maybe she was getting promoted?

And then Alex started talking.

"The first time I met you, it was in a place just like this. A laboratory. I remember how you walked up to me, asking me to tutor you. And I never gave private lessons but I made an exception for you. I should've known right then and there that you were going to be this.. huge part of my life. And then we became friends and then we became something more and then there was prom and you said you loved me, and I said I loved you too. Even though I think I probably fell in love with you the moment you opened your mouth to say "Hey Danvers". 

Maggie laughed, shaking her head in disbelief but Alex lifted her hand, signaling that there was more. 

"We've been through a lot, you and I. We've faced obstacles at different points of our lives. And I never expected to find anyone as supportive, as kind and as loving as you. You never gave up on me-"

"You never gave up on me either," Maggie started to say but Alex placed a quieting finger on her lips. 

"Stop talking, Sawyer," Alex grinned. "Just let me get this out before I get too nervous".

Maggie wanted to ask what she was nervous about but remembered that she shouldn't be talking and instead just nodded for Alex to continue. 

"I've never loved anyone like I love you. I will never love anyone like I love you. You get me like no one else. I realized this when you first came over to my house so that we could study. How you looked at that poster I had, the rogue planet one. How you asked what it meant for me. How you listened. You didn't look at me like other people did. I wasn't just.. nerdy Alex in your eyes. I was something more".

She tucked a wayward lock of hair behind Maggie's ear. "Do you remember what I told you when you asked me about the rogue planet? About why I liked it?"

She paused and Maggie realized that she was waiting for an answer.

"Oh, can I talk now?" she said.

"Just answer the question, Sawyer," Alex rolled her eyes, amused.

Maggie bit her lip as she recalled that exact conversation. "You said you liked them because they were independent and were brave enough to set themselves apart. But that they also made you sad because they were rejected and alone".

"Good memory," Alex nodded, impressed. "There's one thing I haven't told you about rogue planets though". 

Maggie waited with curious eyes and Alex wanted to just drop the speech and kiss her. 

"Rogue planets can sometimes find a home," Alex said in a whisper, her eyes glinting with emotion. "They can be.. captured into orbit around other stars. They can find a second family to house them. One that wants them". 

Maggie's own eyes welled with tears as she understood the meaning behind Alex's words.

"You're my family, Maggie Sawyer," Alex said, her lips curving into a trembling smile. "With you, I'm not a rogue planet anymore. With you, I'm just home". 

"Oh, Alex," Maggie couldn't help chocking out, leaning forwards to kiss her girlfriend.

But then Alex was fumbling with something in the pocket of her lab coat and she was dropping to her knees and Maggie was gazing at her with wide eyes, because no, it couldn't be, it couldn't possibly-

And then there was a box in Alex's hand, and in that box was a ring, and Alex's eyes were filled with love and adoration and a lifetime of promises.

"Maggie Sawyer, we have come full circle," she said, gesturing towards the makeshift lab behind her. "Just like this ring".

"Nerd," Maggie laughed - although it sounded more like a sob. 

Alex smiled, wiping at the corner of her eyes. "I love you so much. And you make me very happy. Very happy. I've never though -" she broke off, and rolled her eyes at herself. "I told myself I'd hold it together until I asked you but this is clearly not working".

"Ask me," Maggie said softly. 

"Mm?"

"Ask me," Maggie repeated.

And then Alex took her hand and Maggie wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Maggie Sawyer, will you marry me?" Alex asked, her voice thick with emotion. "Please?" she added with a smile.

Maggie stared at the woman she loved, down on one knee, gazing at her like she was the most precious thing in the entire world. She knew how much they had both sacrificed to get here and a quick flashback of memories flooded her mind - the tutoring, their first kiss, the secrets they'd shared, the prom, their first time being intimate, the fights, the reconciliations, the tears, the smiles and the image of Alex - her family - pinning her badge on her chest with a proud glint in her eyes.

 And all she could feel in that moment was love. Unadulterated love.

And then Maggie was on her knees next to her, and she was kissing her like it was the first time, and she could feel the tears on Alex's face -or maybe they were her own- and she was whispering one word against Alex's lips, over and over again.

Yes. 

And then Kara was squealing, hovering right outside the window, and Maggie and Alex were hastily dragging her inside before anybody could see her. And they would have scolded her if they weren't feeling so ecstatic.

"I knew she'd say yes," she said to Alex, nudging her playfully. 

Maggie turned towards Alex.

"Were you worried?" she asked with disbelief.

Alex shrugged awkwardly, passing her fingers through her hair. 

"Pfft, nah," she scoffed, fooling no one. 

"I have something to say, a toast," Kara said, grabbing one of the phials Alex was using as props for her makeshift lab and lifting it up solemnly.

"Kara, leave it for the wedding," Maggie giggled as Alex rolled her eyes fondly. 

"This is a rehearsal," Kara shushed them down. "I just wanted to say that I have called this from the very beginning. From the moment Maggie walked in with those potstickers, I knew she was going to be my future sister in-law". 

"Kara, please tell me you're not going to-"

"And I could feel it every time they were together. The chemistry. It was undeniable". Kara smiled, more seriously now, her gaze skating over Alex with unconcealed love. "I'm so happy that the person I love most in the world has found someone to love her just as much as I do". 

"Kara," Alex breathed, ready to cry again. 

"I also love _you_ , Little Danvers," Maggie added, resting her head on Alex's shoulder. 

"Love you too," Kara squealed happily but then paused, as if remembering something. "Although, in the spirit of sisterhood and all that, I do have to come clean".

"What?"

"That Donuts Thief? It was me". 


End file.
